REIGN
by FAH3
Summary: She was sent to Earth to live, she chose to use her gifts to help others, and she gave her life to protect the world. Now, against all odds, everyone will watch as she returns to save us again. KP/Superman fusion. Sequel to Day of Doom.
1. Let It Reign

**Author's Note(s):** Sorry this has taken so long to get started. I'm not having such a great time in my life right now, so this may take a little longer to update than the last one. But, I thought I might as well get the ball rolling.

* * *

**En Route to Metropolis**

No matter what he did, he was still feeling uncomfortable. As he groaned in mild pain and largely in annoyance, he placed his hand lightly over the area where he had been shot. As he glanced to his side, he could still see Dick's face. Hanna mainly looked very worried, but still almost unreadable. They were both worried about him, and he couldn't blame them. The first words out of his mouth were "I brought her back." He could have sworn he did. Wade and the rest kept telling him he had been dreaming, but that was impossible. It was just too real. He could feel Kim there in that field. He felt her warm smooth skin, heard her sweet voice, and he could still taste her lips on his. He could also still feel his child in his arms. Their child. The one that . . . could have been. That was the worst, and most agonizing, part of the vision; knowing that their child was gone and they both saw what she would have looked like if she had been born. They hadn't even thought of a name for her at all. The feeling like part of his heart had caved in on itself when Kim died was unbearable. Now the rest of his heart felt like it had been completely destroyed every time he saw her. Every time he saw both of them.

As he thought about the child from his vision, he glanced back toward Hanna. It was something else he still couldn't believe. His sister that he guarded and watched over like a hawk was really his daughter. When he had Wade do a DNA comparison, he had to go to extra lengths to make sure he didn't find out where the samples came from. All the results from the test confirmed it. Hanna was his little girl. But now that he accepted it, he had to figure out how to tell her. But how do you do that? It wasn't something you mentioned during lunch or a night at home. But the harder part was how to tell her that he didn't want her to be Batgirl for a while. He wasn't fond of the idea when he was her brother; but now that he knew he was her father, he really didn't like it. But Ra's Al Ghul was out there somewhere, looking for her. He knew that she was alive, and he wanted her. It'd be a cold day in hell before he let that murdering bastard take his child from him. He had already lost one child to a monster and he wasn't about to loose another. But what was he going to do when it came down to telling Hanna the truth?

"Sir? We're approaching Metropolis airport now." The pilot said to him, snapping him out of his train of thought.

"Thank you, pilot." He said as he automatically went into business mode. "Dick, did you make the calls?" Ron asked his ward.

"Yeah, I did. Dr. Director and Captain Sawyer are supposed to meet us at the tomb. But they said that ever since Miss Gough put in her new security measures, that no one could steal her body without their knowledge." Dick said, hoping in vain that he would finally listen to reason.

"And they also used to say that the Titanic couldn't sink." Ron said to him as he looked out the window as they came on final approach.

"Bro, why won't you listen? Kim is dead and she's not coming back. You were dreaming, you didn't brink her back from the dead! Why are you torturing yourself like this?" Hanna asked him.

"Because I just need to make sure, Han. I just need to know she's safe." Ron said as he fought back the pain of her dying in his arms again.

It'd be hard for him to see her like that again, but something in his gut was telling him she wouldn't be in there. And after Cadmus had pulled this crap with stealing her body, he didn't want to take any chances. Kim was his friend and the love of his life. He was over his self-pity fits, and knew he owed her so much more. The least he was going to do was make sure that she was safe in her eternal resting place. He would upgrade and replace any cheap crap Sherri called security measures. If he had to, he take them from the Batcave itself and put them in Kim's tomb. That's one of the reasons Wade was with them on this trip as well. He knew the security measures Wade had made for the cave would keep out a wasp if it needed, so there was no worry about that. But he wanted Wade to be the one to personally enhance any security measures what so ever.

"Ron? We've landed." Dick said, breaking his train of thought once again.

"Give me a second." Ron said as he used a cane for support in standing to his feet.

He hated having to take things so slowly because of this gunshot wound. Never mind the pain and discomfort he kept feeling with almost every move of his body. It was going to be a nightmare to try and be Batman. And that was if he could get past Dick and Hanna. He let them leave the jet first with Wade and himself taking up the rear. As they left the jet's confines, Ron couldn't help but notice how Hanna and Dick were holding hands and how much the concern on their faces were so obvious. But he could also see something else. Something that was in their eyes. He knew it well because he had seen it in Kim's eye every time. Pure, unconditional, love. Every thing that had happened had been so hard on them. He had to think of a way to make it up to them after all this was over with. But first thing's first.

"Wade?" Ron whispered.

"Yeah, Ron?"

"Keep an eye on Dick and Hanna. I don't want them doing anything except holding hands." Ron said to him.

"Got it." Wade said as they all began to climb into the waiting limo.

* * *

"They're on their way." Dr. Director said as she took the blue tooth phone out of her ear and placed it in her coat pocket.

"I still don't see why you decided to consent to this. Just because he's rich doesn't give him the right to see her body." Captain Sawyer said as they waited.

"Because Stoppable is an old friend of mine, and he wants to make sure we don't have a repeat with Cadmus. And frankly, I don't blame him. If Stoppable thinks he came beef up the security system that's been put in place, I'll let him have access to Fort Knocks if he wants it." Betty said.

"I still think this is a bad idea." Sawyer said.

"Why's that?"

"Stoppable has a reputation about him. He's more of a playboy than a business man. So how do we know he isn't just trying to take something from the tomb so that he can flaunt it in front of a bunch of floozies to get his dick wet?" Sawyer asked the older woman. When Director turned to face her, she could hear the woman's jaw pop as she clenched it closed.

"Look Captain, I know this man. I used to work with his fiancé when they were younger and I owe them a hell of a lot more than what I'm doing right now. In fact, the whole world owes them more. So if I say he's clean, then he's clean. Got it?" she asked in a voice so stern that it would have made a drill sergeant pale.

"Got it." Captain Sawyer said, but she still didn't like it. All of this left a bad taste in her mouth like expired cough syrup. "So who's his fiancé?" Sawyer asked, wanting to try and calm herself down.

"You don't read the papers much, do you?" Betty asked the young woman beside her. "Her name is Kim Possible."

"The missing reporter?"

"She used to be more than that." Dr. Director said. "A lot more." She whispered to herself.

Thankfully, they saw Ron's Limousine enter the park after several minutes of uneasy silence. Betty remained cool and calm, thanks to her training and many years as the head of Global Justice, while Maggie looked like she had read the world's grossest joke. As Betty stepped forward to greet Ron when the limo stopped, Maggie remained where she was to keep and eye on Stoppable.

"Good morning, Mr. Stoppable." Betty said as Ron slowly stepped out of the car, gripping his cane as he bit through the pain.

"Long time no see, Dr. Director. I wish we could have met under better circumstances." Ron said as Dick and Hanna followed.

"So do I. I trust you're doing well?"

"Almost. I was in a small accident the other day."

"I hope you weren't hurt too badly." Betty said.

"He gave us one hell of a scare." Dick said, and gulped when he saw the look Ron shot at him. "Sorry."

"I know this is hard on everyone. So, how about we get this over with?" Betty asked.

"Fine with me." Captain Sawyer said, not bothering to hide her feelings about the situation.

"Nice to meet you, Captain." Ron said as everyone walked to the tomb "I hope my company can work with the Metropolis PD with the recent crime wave." Ron said to her as Dr. Director began to enter the code that would unlock and open the tomb's door.

"Save it, rich boy. The SCU can handle things on their own." Maggie said to him.

"I see a little bit of Turpin has rubbed off on you." Ron said with a small grin as they heard a small hiss and the large vault door slowly swing open.

"Are you ready, Ron?" Wade asked him as he took a deep breath.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Ron said to him as he, Sawyer, and Dr. Director braced themselves.

None of them could really stomach the site of seeing the fallen hero with her wounds still open for the world to see. Because of those memories, Hanna and Dick decided to stay outside while they viewed her body. Seeing her now, after being sealed in hr new coffin, wouldn't be of any help to their young minds. As the door stopped and the rest of the security system deactivated, the four adults entered the tomb with Wade getting his PDA ready to take his notes. The first thing all of them saw inside the crypt made them freeze in place as Captain Sawyer gasped in shock.

"This is impossible!" Sawyer said to herself as she looked on.

"What's wrong?" Hanna asked as she and Dick forced themselves into the tomb. As soon as they came into view of what the adults were gaping in shock at, their minds and thoughts came to a screeching halt. It was unbelievable and impossible. Everything about what they were seeing was simply unreal.

"How?" Betty asked herself.

In front of them, sitting on a pedestal to replace the stone case that had been shattered, was an opened and empty silver coffin.

"How can someone have stolen her body again?" Dr. Director asked herself. They had taken every precaution they could have imagined. There were lasers, heat sensors, and constant surveillance. While Dr. Director and Sawyer began talking about what could have happened and how to contain the situation, a satisfied and hopeful smile began to form on Ron's lips as he gazed at the empty coffin. Somehow, he had always known he was right about this.

While the gathered group looked at the empty coffin in bewilderment, gathered Superwoman cultists had begun to grow curious as to what was happening and why the tomb to their savior had been opened. One cultist, a man in his mid thirties, was the only one brave enough to try and see what was happening. They all worshiped her and adored her, and they thought they had a right to know what was happening to their savior. He slowly entered the tomb quietly and cautiously, slowly walking up behind the group. He had to stand on his toes in order to see over the shoulder of the large black man, and gazed at what was in front of them. His eyes widened and his mouth tried to speak as he saw the coffin lay open, and no sign of her body was anywhere in sight. With a loud gasp, he turned and ran back to the gathered crowd. Trying to catch his breath, he fell to his knees as the others started to rush to him to see what was wrong. As he regained his normal breathing, a happy smile was on his face as tears of pure joy began to fall freely from his eyes as he began to shout with pure happiness and joy.

"My friends! My fellow believers! She has risen! She has come back! She has come back to help us! She has returned to us to continue her quest! Our savior has been resurrected from the grave! SUPERWOMAN LIVES!"

**REIGN **

**SUPERWOMAN RETURNS**


	2. The First Signs

REIGN

By FAH3

**Orbit around Earth. Four hours after the tomb discovery.**

"_Atlantis, this is Houston. What's the ETA on that satellite repair?"_ the familiar and annoying voice over the communications link asked.

"We're almost finished, Houston. After we get these last few motherboards replaced, we can power her up and see if this was just a waste of time." The astronaut, Johnson, said as he connected the appropriate wires.

"_It better be worth it, or the country just pissed away several million dollars."_

"I'd hate to be the one to get that bill." The other astronaut, Commander Cartwright, said as he operated the large mechanical arm.

"Just make sure I don't float off into space, wise guy." Johnson said.

"I don't know. You wouldn't like to be our first ambassador to deep space?"

"I mean it, damn it! Don't even try something like that!" Johnson said as he felt the arm shake a little.

"Man, what bug crawled up your flight suit?"

"I'm just scared of heights, all right?"

"Whoa, hold on. You're scared of heights, and yet you're the one floating on a giant tin can in space. _Above_ the planet?" Cartwright asked him.

"Let's just say I'm glad I can pee in these suits." The other said as he began to connect the last remaining motherboard.

"You do know that you're cleaning that suit out yourself, right?"

"Why don't you sit on it and rotate." Johnson said as he connected the final wires. "Houston, repairs are complete. I'm closing the access hatch and returning to the shuttle."

"_Copy that, Atlantis. Let us know when you're free and clear."_

"Copy, Houston." He said as he locked his tools back into their place on the special belt that was attached to his suit. As he did, he began hearing several clicking noises from inside the satellite. He knew he had shut it off, so what was going on? "Houston, are you getting anything on this bird?"

"_Hold on, Atlantis."_

"Paranoid, are we?" Cartwrigt asked him.

"I can hear something moving in this thing. I just want to make sure it's shut off."

"_DISEMBARK! THE BIRD IS GETTING READY TO FIRE ITS THRUSTERS!"_

"DO WHAT?!"

Before any of them could act, the thrusters began to fire to reposition the satellite in a different orbit. As the large device began to move, it began to pull the large mechanical arm that was still attached to it while Johnson held on for dear life. So many things were racing through his mind as the satellite kept pulling the arm. What was going to happen to him? Who would take care of his family? What the hell did he cross to make the damn bird come online? His eyes were closed tightly as he felt the arm shudder and suddenly stop. He opened his eyes and saw that the satellite was still tring to move, but the arm had hit the shuttle.

Maybe if he unbuckled, he could climb down the arm toward the cargo hatch. It would be difficult and slow, but it might be possible if the arm held out. As he reached for the buckle that kept him attached to the arm, he froze as he heard something begin to groan. He glanced downward one more time as he felt the arm start to shudder again. His blood seemed to freeze in his veins as he saw that the arm was straining and beginning to break.

"JOHNSON, GET OUT OF THERE! GET OUT OF THERE!" Cartwright screamed as he saw the arm begin to snap.

To their horror, the arm broke loose as Johnson unbuckled himself free. The sudden break threw Johnson off balance and caused him to fall away from the arm as it was being pulled away by the satellite. As Johnson watched as dark space and the shuttle kept rolling around him, fear was completely gripping him. Forever floating through the void of space with no chance of him ever going home again haunted his mind while terrifying thoughts of suffocation were making themselves known. He couldn't do anything but scream in pure terror as the shuttle began to grow more and more distant from his view. Until he felt a pair of hands grip him around his waist and stop his fall into the reaches of space.

Cartwright couldn't believe what he had just seen. Not only was the arm to the shuttle floating off into the reaches of space while the satellite was trying to reposition itself, but he had just seen one of his friends fall out of sight. He just couldn't believe it. He was kidding around about the whole floating away thing, he didn't really mean it. And there was nothing he could have done to stop it. Nothing at all. What was he going to tell everyone when they landed? Could they even land? For all he knew, there was damage to the tiles on the shuttle that kept it from burning up in re-entry. God, how was he going to tell Houston what happened to Johnson?

"_Atlantis, what's happening? Our boards down here are lighting up like Christmas trees. Atlantis, do you read me?"_

"Houston." Cartwright started and to a shaky breath. "Houston, we have," he began again as he looked out the window and his eyes began to widen at what he saw land in the cargo bay. "Houston, we have an unidentified flying object." He said as he kept his eyes glued to the scene before him.

"_Unidentified? What does it look like?"_

"Like – um – like a – girl." He said as he saw the back of a woman standing in the cargo hold, with no space suit, and helping Johnson to the entrance to the shuttle. The two main features he recognized about the girl was a long mane of red hair, and the flowing red cape. If he didn't know any better, he could have sworn the cape had some strange yellow symbol on the back that was in the shape of a diamond. As soon as Johnson was in, the figure flew off and toward Earth.

After a brief moment, he rushed himself to where the others were looking at a pale and stunned Johnson as he removed the helmet to his suit. Everyone was asking him questions all at once before he even had a minute to compose himself.

"Johnson, are you okay?" the pilot, West asked him.

"What was that thing?" Cartwright asked him.

"I don't know. For a minute, I thought I was – I was looking at – the Terminator."

* * *

"What a joke." Galatea said to herself as she looked out the large window.

That's what her whole life seemed to be like. She started life as a screwed up clone that always had to stand in the shadow of the annoying princess that was known as Superwoman. Then she used Kal when it looked like there was a way for her to have some chance at being normal. Some shot at being normal. But as she thought about her actions, she felt her heart begin to sink slightly. She had used Kal to her own ends ever since she set foot inside the Fortress. She was going to ditch the poor kid as soon as she was finished with him, but now she couldn't. As she sat in the rays of the setting sun, she realized that she cared about him too much to try and ditch him now. Even the thought about it made her feel sick to her stomach.

"Galatea?" he called out again.

"I'm in here." She said. She didn't bother yelling. His hearing was like hers, and he could hear her easily. It wasn't long until she heard him walk into the bedroom and sit her down beside her on the bed.

"Are you all right?" he asked her.

"Does it look like I'm all right?" she asked him. It wasn't long until she felt him wrap an arm around her to hold her, and she leaned in to the embrace. She needed something to help her sour mood.

"I'm sorry." He said to her.

"What are you sorry for?" she asked him.

"The gene restructuring. I should have done more with it. OR I should have at least made sure everything was set right." He said.

"Kal, you did your best. But let's face it, I'm a freak." She said as she looked up at him; letting the sunlight hit the yellow crystal visor that was covering her eyes.

"You're not a freak." He said to her.

"Yes, I am!" she shouted as she activated the cover for the windows and stormed out of the room. As soon as she was in the central room of the fortress, she firmly grasped the yellow crystal visor that sat on her face and flung t at the nearest wall. She ignored the sound of the visor shattering or the shards crumbling to the floor as Kal followed behind her.

"Before, I was turning into a walking white brick. Now, I can't even look at the sun without those things. Damn it, even a dim flashlight hurts my eyes!" She said to him as she came to a stop near the main control panel and looked at Kal in the face.

"But you're not a freak. On Krypton, everyone had problems like they do on Earth."

"Yeah, right." She said sarcastically. "But I'm betting when someone was born blind, you could just give them a new pair of eyes." She said bitterly. As Kal bit his lip and looked down, she knew she had received her answer. "I'm screwed, aren't I? How am I supposed to live my life with something that looks like the break light to the space shuttle on my face?" she asked him.

"Maybe not." Kal said to her as his eyes squinted while his brain began to work.

"Huh?" she asked him, wondering what he meant by that. "Do you mean you can alter my DNA again?" she asked him.

"No. You're body is still adjusting, and another trip through that thing so soon could kill you." Kal said as he looked at her in the eyes. "One thing I've noticed is that after enough exposure to solar energy, a Kryptonian will start to heal incredibly fast. So, maybe it's the same thing with your eyes." He said to her.

"You mean build up solar energy, and my eyes get better?" she asked him. "Kal, even if that's true, it's not going to happen. I can't even look at the sun anymore, remember?" she said as she glanced at the broken visor.

"I can make another one for you. One that looks more like sunglasses if you want." He said to her.

"You told me that what little solar energy my body had was used up in the machine. Isn't it going to take me a while to try and absorb enough for my eyes to heal?" she asked him. When she saw the face he made as he tried to find the right words, she stopped him before she could answer. "So I'm either going to be stuck here for a while, or stuck at my apartment back in Metropolis." She told him.

"Galatea,"

"Kal, you tried your best and I thank you. But I don't want to be some damn shut in."

"And you won't! No matter what, it will take you some time to reabsorb sunlight to normal levels. But I think there might be a way I can cut that time in half." He said to her.

"Now you've lost me." Galatea said.

"When I first came to Earth, Kara wanted to help my powers develop more quickly. So she was able to use the fortress' computer systems to design what she called a solar suit."

"A what?" Galatea asked, wondering what the hell Kal was trying to tell her.

"A solar suit. It's designed to absorb solar radiation faster than a normal Kryptonian body can, and it feeds the energy into the wearer's body. I'm not sure, but I think if you wear one that it just might speed up your absorption of solar energy and your eyes might heal faster." Kal said.

"But you can't be sure, can you?" she asked him flatly.

"No, I can't. I'm actually – guessing." Kal said reluctantly.

Galatea looked at him and the look he had in his eyes, almost like a small puppy when its been scolded for something it had done. It was hard to look at him, even resist him, when he used those sky blue eyes of his. It was almost like princess using her puppy dog pout to get her way. How did this kid do that to her? She let out a small sigh as she played out what he said in her head over and over again. After biting her lip for a little bit, she glanced back at him again.

"If we try,"

"Thank you!" Kal beamed as he kissed Galatea on the cheek.

"Hey, I said _if_. _If_ we this thing, that suit is going to look the way _I_ want it to look. Is that clear?" she asked him.

"As crystal." Kal said as a wide smile formed on his face and he placed a small kiss on her forehead. "Soon, you'll be teaching me how to do summersaults in the clouds." He said to her.

"No, I'll be teaching you how to do something else in the sky." She said to him.

"What would that be?" he asked her with a raised eyebrow.

"I'll show you." She said with a grin as she began to loosen her robe.

"You know – you're a bad influence." Kal stuttered as his face turned red while Galatea's robe fell at her feet and revealed her bare form to him.

"I hope so." She said as she pressed herself to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

**

* * *

**

Metropolis, an hour later.

"Man, I didn't know it was this bad." Wade said to himself as he looked at the site where a building had been under construction. In the aftermath of Doomsday's rampage, it was nothing more but a pile of scrap and rubble. "Several months to get started, and it's reduced to this in minutes." He said to himself as he opened his personal notepad and began taking notes.

"Can I help you, sir?" the foreman asked as he spotted the tall and very broad young African-American man.

"The name's Wade Load. I'm here on business." He said as he removed a card from his pocket and handed it to the foreman. As soon as the middle aged man saw the company logo, his eyes began to widen.

"Stoppable Industries?" he asked as he looked at the very casual clothes Wade was wearing. Mainly, his light blue tank top and a pair of blue jeans. "But – why would a big shot like Mr. Stoppable be interested in this heap?" he asked.

"You read about his engagement?"

"Yeah, who hasn't?" the foreman asked.

"Mr. Stoppable was considering relocating our company headquarters to Metropolis. If he chose that course of action, this would have been our company's new home. I'm here to see how bad the damage is and whether or not if we should try again or scrap the whole thing." Wade answered.

In all honesty, Ron just hadn't made up his mind yet. He knew the building had been completely destroyed and they would have to restart from square one if they wanted to rebuild. Wade just had to get out and clear his head. He was still trying to get over what they had seen this morning. It was unbelievable. After going to all that effort to get her back, someone had stolen her again. Wade had checked out the security measures Miss Gough had put into Kim's tomb and he was very impressed with the setup that had been put in place. What was scary was he couldn't do that much to improve it. So how in the hell was someone able to break in and steal her body again? There weren't any signs of forced entry, and there was no evidence that the security system had been tampered with. Could she really have – no. It was impossible. She was dead when they buried her. Wasn't she? Yes, she was. They made sure she was dead, not even the Martian Manhunter could detect any brain activity. She was dead. The sooner he hacked Miss Gough's data base for the security footage, the better.

"What about now?"

"Excuse me?" Wade asked the foreman as he wrote down a few quick observations.

"I heard she's one of the people missing since that Doomsday things tore through Metropolis. What happens now?" the foreman asked him.

"I wish I knew." Wade whispered to himself. Right about now, he wished he was back in Gotham. The gloomy night skies were matching his mood.

"Boss! I think we've got a cave in here!" one worker shouted.

"Cave in?" Wade asked as they started walking toward the worker's position.

"Part of the building collapsed into the basement. Part of the area isn't stable because crap keeps falling into it. What was your boss thinking with a basement that big?" the foreman said.

"You don't want to know." Wade said as they saw several pieces of concrete begin to shift.

"They think something else collapsed down there. Two guys almost fell over when it began to shift." The worker said.

"Okay. Tape this area off for now and let's start somewhere else." The foreman said.

"Doomsday." A muffled voice said.

"Did you say something?" Wade asked them.

"Wasn't me. Jim?" the foreman asked.

"Wasn't me, boss." The worker said.

More of the concrete pieces began to shift and move as something from underneath the wreckage began to stand on their feet. Everyone looked in wide eyes wonder as they saw a large form begin to rise, clutching to massive sledge hammers in both of its hands. His clothes were in tatters and he looked like he had been buried under there for a while. He was breathing hard as he staggered forward, looking from left to right like he was trying to find something or someone.

"Doomsday." He said in a deep voice, almost sounding like the voice of God.

"Excuse me?" Wade asked him. He didn't know why, but the man looked very familiar to him.

"Got – to stop – Doomsday." He said and began to collapse.

Wade rushed to the large man's side and caught him in his arms as he fell. Wade tried to slowly lower him to the ground, but the man weighed as much as a bull rhino. Who was this guy? "GET ME SOME WATER!" Wade shouted.

"I – I've got to stop – Doomsday." He said again in a slight delirium.

"I know this guy the foreman said as one of his workers handed Wade a bottle of water. Wade slowly put the bottle to the man's lips and allowed him to drink as part of the water washed away the dust from the debris.

"Who is he?" Wade asked the foreman.

"That's Henry Johnson. He was one of the high steel workers." The foreman answered.

As Wade looked at the man again, something in his mind fell into place as he finally recognized the man in front of him.

"Dr. Irons?" he asked the man, causing him to look at Wade for a moment.

"Dr. Load. N-nice – to meet you – again." The large man said before he passed out.

* * *

**The Four Seasons; Metropolis**

Ron had to force down some more painkillers as he waited in his room with Hannah, Dick, Dr. Director and Inspector Maggie Sawyer of the Metropolis Special Crimes Unit. He didn't like taking the medication, he thought it dulled his senses too much. But it had been over four hours since it had worn off, and both Hannah and Dick were shooting him dirty looks every time he groaned or he clutched his gunshot wound. So, just to make them happy, he had swallowed two of the painkillers he was prescribed and felt them start to take effect. He just hoped they didn't dull his thought process too much.

"Anything yet, Dr. Director?" he asked the woman as she hung up her cell phone.

"Nothing. No prints, no signs of forced entry, not even a hair out of place." Dr. Director growled as she griped her phone tightly and then threw it against the wall, watching it fall to pieces.

"What about the cameras you had in place?" Dick asked her.

"My department just received the footage from Miss Gogh. There was a fifteen-minute break where the cameras lost power. The tech boys are going over it to make sure it wasn't tampered with." Inspector Sawyer said.

"I don't get it. How can someone pull this off? I mean, why would they want to take her again in the first place?" Hanna asked aloud.

"Superwoman is an alien, and her physiology gave her unique abilities. If someone can reverse engineer her biology, who knows what they'll be able to do." Dr. Director said.

"Is it Cadmus again?" Dick asked.

"We're still trying to gather evidence, kid. We,"

"Not a chance. This isn't their style, and Westfield isn't the Cadmus head anymore. In fact, he was checked into a nut house not too long ago. He suffered a complete mental breakdown." Dr. Director said, interrupting Inspector Sawyer and earning a glare from her.

"Betty, no one else knew about the security measures we had taken to keep her safe. You know what this means?" Maggie asked the older woman.

"I know what it means. My organization has a damn mole in it." Betty said with disdain.

"Or Miss Gogh took it." Dick said.

"Kid, she put in the security system. Why would she want to steal it?" Sawyer asked him.

"I don't know. Maybe just to gloat?" Dick asked.

"Let's just focus on the matter at hand and any of the clues we can find." Dr. Director said. She knew they were starting to get desperate, and the last thing she needed was a fight on her hands. She was already going to have a big enough headache if there really was a mole in Global Justice.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Ron asked as his mind tried to figure out how she could have gotten out of the tomb.

"Yeah, there is." Maggie said to him. "Get in your jet, and go back to Gotham City."

"Maggie." Betty warned.

"I'm sorry, Inspector, but what exactly have I done to piss you off?"

"The truth? You wanting to supposedly help us."

"Is there something wrong with that?" Ron asked her.

"There is when you're doing it in order to win a popularity contest." Maggie said as she took out a cigarette.

"You think that's why I'm doing this? To make myself look good?" Ron asked as he began to feel his blood begin to boil inside of him.

"You don't exactly have the best reputation, Mr. Stoppable. In fact, most of the news I hear is when you're trying to get into the pants of some floozy."

"Would you shut up?!" Hannah shouted as she stood to her feet and got into Sawyer's face. "My brother is nothing like the garbage those tabloid rags have been printing! He wants to help because Superwoman was a friend of ours, and a friend to Kim! And if you haven't been paying attention, my brother is engaged!" Hannah shouted.

"She's probably marrying you brother for the money." Sawyer said to the teenager.

Maggie was on the floor with a broken nose before she could even blink. Maggie was wiping away the blood on her face and trying to stand on her feet while Dick and Ron were trying to hold back an enraged Hannah back while Dr. Director kept Inspector Sawyer pressed against a wall.

"YOU HEARTLESS BITCH! MY BROTHER AND KIM HAVE BEEN FRIENDS FOR MOST OF THEIR LIVES! THEY ALWAYS LOVED EACH OTHER! SO DON'T YOU DARE SAY ANYTHING ABOUT HER YOU DAMN WHORE!"

"Why you little,"

"INSPECTOR!" Betty shouted as she pressed her hand harder against Maggie's chest as she glared at her with a look that would have given Freddie Kruger nightmares. "I think it's time we left." She growled, letting the young cop know that she had just crossed the line. "I apologize for her actions, Stoppable. I'll let you know if there's anything you can do to help." She said as Maggie left and she followed, closing the door behind them.

* * *

"I should lock the little brat in a holding cell for a few days." Maggie said as she wiped away more blood from her now crooked nose.

"Right now, you're lucky I'm not the one who broke your damn nose. I told you Stoppable was a friend and he could be trusted. But you just had to go and mouth off." Betty said to her.

"I told you,"

"And what did I just tell you?!" Betty demanded. "I know you've had some bad experiences with men like Stoppable, Maggie. But not everyone is like the scumbags you've had to deal with. Ron wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he actually earned his fortune the honest way. He's also the one that just about put Rupert Thorn in the poor house. So the next time I tell you that someone's a friend, you listen!" Betty said to Maggie before turning and walking toward the elevator. Maggie stood there for a moment and thought about what she had said before reluctantly turning and following her.

"Was I always this pigheaded when we were dating?" Maggie asked as she stepped into the elevator, using part of her shirt as a rag.

"You were worst."

* * *

"Are you all right, Ron?" Dick asked him as he watched him tae two more painkillers.

"I'll be fine. Trying told back Han felt like I was trying to hold back a pissed off rhino." Ron said as he gulped down a glass of water. "Where is she?"

"She's on the balcony. She looked pretty upset, but she didn't want to talk to me." Dick said to him.

"You know how she gets when she's upset. Maybe I can talk to her." Ron said as he made his way to the other side of the penthouse.

He saw her sitting on the floor of the balcony with her legs sticking through the spaces of the guardrail and swinging in the breeze. Her head was resting on the guardrail as she hugged herself. Judging from how shaken her breathing was, she had most likely been crying. He had remembered so many times he or Kim had to help calm her down whenever she got upset. It wasn't always easy, but it seemed to help that she knew they were there for her. He just hoped that's how it still was.

"That was a good punch back there. But you need to work on your follow through." Ron said as he walked out onto the patio and took a seat in a chair that had been placed out there for him.

"How could she say that? All that mean stuff about you and Kim?" she asked.

"It comes with being rich. That, and some people are just jerks." He said and noticed how there wasn't any change I her face or position. "I wish I could explain it, Hanna. I really do. But sometime, you just can't. Why did the Joker become psychotic? Or why Jim stick by me when Bullock hates my guts?" Ron asked her.

"I know I shouldn't have punched her, bro. But when she said that about Kim, I just -"

"It hurt. I know." Ron said.

"I really miss her, bro. She was the closest thing I had to a mom. I know she wasn't, but I can't remember anything about Mom and Dad. And every time someone mentions mothers, I always see Kim's face." Hanna said to him.

"You were young when Mom and Dad died, so I understand." Ron said as he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He knew he needed to tell her the truth and it had to be soon. But he knew it wasn't going to be easy at all. "Do you remember Yori?" he asked her.

"Aunt Yori? Sure. Did you ever find her?" Hanna asked him.

"Yes and no. Yori came to me, not too long after I had my breakdown." He said to her.

"You mean when you blew up the cave?"

"Yeah." He said before taking another deep breath to steady himself. "Han, Yori revealed a big secret to me, and I found out she was telling the truth." Ron said to her.

"What is it?" Hanna asked him.

"Yori – is – Yori is – she's Ra's Al Ghul' daughter." Ron told her.

"Oh my God." Hannah said as his words sunk in. "That's why his men took her?"

"Yeah, it is. She's bound to his league of assassins by blood. But there's something else."

"I'm scared to ask." Hannah said.

"I'm scared to tell it. But you need to know this, Han. Yori told me that she has a daughter."

"What?"

"She does. Yori told me this because she wanted me to protect her. She told me that Ra's wanted her to conceive the child of someone – he wanted in the league. But Yori didn't want her child to be bound like she was. So Master Sensei hid her." Ron said to her as he felt his palms begin to sweat.

"Where did he hide her?" Yori asked him.

"With – with the child's father." Ron said as he looked straight at her.

The look Ron was giving her chilled her a little. It was also confusing her. He was looking at her with a very serious look, the kind she saw on his face when he was working on a major case or – trying to get his point across.

"Bro – why are you looking at me like that?" she asked him as a knot formed in her stomach. Something was telling her that she didn't want to hear his answer to her question.

"Han, there's a reason you're as skilled as you are." Ron started but looked away. Han, seeing the nervousness in him, moved from her spot and sat beside him. She could see how hard it was for him to be telling her this. She reached out and held his hand in hers, trying to let him know he could tell her. Ron looked up and stroked the side of her face as a tear began to form in one of his eyes.

"Bro?"

"Han – Yori is your biological mother." Ron told her.

Han felt the knot in her stomach turn cold and begin to spread. Her chin began to quiver as her brain unwillingly began to work and put everything she had just been told together. She already knew the answer, but she had to say it to make it real.

"So – y-you're my – you're?"

"I'm your father." He said to her, fearing how she would react.

Yori sat frozen in her place beside Ron. Even thought it was only seconds, it felt almost like an eternity for both of them. Yori didn't know how to react. Should she be mad? A part of her was, but not at Ron. She didn't have any reason to be. Should he have told her as soon as he found out? Yes, he should have. But look at everything that's happened to not just him, but all of them. No, she was mad at Yori. She should have told her, told them so much sooner than this. She knew the truth and never told any of them. And then she waited until they were all at their lowest. But – how did she feel about Ron know?

"Hanna?"

"I – I just need to be left alone right now. I just – I don't know."

Hanna couldn't even finish her sentence as she rushed back inside. A few minutes later, Ron heard the door to her room slam shut. Ron exhaled the breath he had been holding in slowly as he started to regret telling her the truth. But she needed to know, and he prayed to God she would come through this okay in the end. Everyone had already been through too much already.

"When is all this drama going to end?" Ron asked himself.

"Ron? What's going on? What's up with Han?" Dick asked as he stepped out onto the balcony.

"Right now, she's really upset and very confused." Ron said to him.

"Should I even ask why?" Dick asked him.

"Sit down, Dick. There's something I have to tell you about Hanna and me."

* * *

She had to admit that she was impressed with the way the suit was made. The suit was a nice shade of navy blue that almost looked black, but the light that bounced off of it made it seem to glow cobalt blue. It was ribed at the side of the torso, on the shoulders, and on the sides of the leggings, but; she guessed that's where some of the micro circuitry was. It looked so much like it was made of some sort of leather, but it felt and flexed like a soft cloth. The way it hugged her body showed off every curve and showed how toned her body was. Not to mention she loved the fact that Kal was able to make the suit a mid-drift. However, the only thing she didn't really like was new visor that was covering her eyes. It wasn't as large or as thick as the other one, but it still got on her nerves. She didn't care if it was smaller and sleeker, but it made her feel like she was more of a freak than when she first tried to make a life for herself when Drakken had created her. It made her feel like she was – defective.

"How do you like it?" Kal said as he came into the sun lit room.

"I have got to admit, you've really out done yourself." Galatea said with a very wide smile. "But the visor,"

"Is necessary for right now. Be glad I was able to make them look like sunglasses." He said to her.

"But yellow? I mean, it's sort of nineties retro." She said to him.

"It was the only kind we could find that allowed you to x-ray through it, and still guard your eyes at the same time. But – I added a bonus feature." He said as he pressed the sides of the visor. In an instant, the yellow in front of her faded and made everything crystal clear.

"Whoa! What did you do?" she asked him.

"It's sort of like a one-way mirror. The visor has a separate battery in the bridge that allows you to rest your eyes. So you just have to look through it normally." He said to her.

"And heat vision?" she asked him.

"Sadly, no. It would melt the visor, but I have compensated."

"With what?" she asked him as she folded her arms and cocked her hips to one side.

"I got the idea from Spider-Man, and Kim's old nemesis Shego." He said which made Galatea bite her lower lip for a moment. Thankfully, he didn't notice the action and she was grateful. She'd hate to tell him that one of her favorite past times was to get in-between Shego's legs and make the women scream louder than an Irish banshee.

"Now, clench your fits, but press down the twi fingers in the center hard." He said to her.

"Huh?"

"Just do it." He said to her.

"All right. But I better not shoot out any spider webs." She said to him and did as she was instructed.

As her fingers pressed down into the center of her palm as hard as she could, she saw a strange energy immediately surround her hands. It looked so bizarre. The energy emitted from her hands looked exactly like Shego's, but it was different. It was almost like her gloves had become two miniature suns.

"What do they do?"

"It's concentrated solar energy. This suit collects more than the original design for the prototype, and it uses the extra for you to use as a weapon to replace your heat vision." Kal-El told her.

"Cool." Galatea said as she observed her hands as she moved them.

"But be careful. They have a,"

**_BOOM!!!!!_**

"Hair trigger." Kal finished as he and Galatea looked at the large smoking hole that was now where one of the bedroom windows used to be.

"All I have to do is aim and stiffen my hand, huh?" she asked as she balled her fists tightly and deactivated the gloves.

"Pretty much. I'm still working the bugs out of them." Kal said as he took a closer look at the window.

"Can that window be fixed?" Galatea asked him.

"Don't worry. The droids will come on-line soon and fix it."

"Droids? They're robots in here?" she asked him.

"They're maintenance droids with a simple AI. They're nice to talk to every so often if you're bored. In fact, I'll go see if I can bring them on-line now." Kal said as he left the bedroom and headed to the main control panel.

As Kal went about his business, Galatea wondered into the main are of the fortress. Kal had rearranged several things and had placed a few smaller control panels here and there to operate separate systems. One of the ones she wondered to was to control the holographic view screen that monitored various transmissions all around the world. She was glad Kal had taught her how to do this as she moved a few crystals into place and watched several news transmissions appear in thin air.

"Crime rates have sky rocketed since the wake of Superwoman's funeral. Despite large donations from Queen Industries, Gogh Industries, and Lex Corp, police still find themselves severely short handed."

"_Four deaths today resulted from a drive by shooting, two of which were children."_

"_Superwoman cultists have been gathering mass numbers in front of her tomb. Their belief that Superwoman is the nest messiah has been strengthened with the second theft of Superwoman's body. So far, no clues have been discovered on who stole the body, or even how." _

"_Gang war has gotten out of hand as rival gangs try to claim various part of the city since Superwoman's death. Injuries are at a record high as the death toll slowly starts to rise."_

She didn't know why, but she couldn't look at them anymore. She shut the feeds off and turned away. She was biting down on her lip hard as she felt like she wanted to cry. Somehow, this had confirmed it for her. The princess was gone, and all hell was breaking loose. Even before she was a superhero, she was always helping people. Always helping the world. Now she wasn't anymore. She wasn't there, and everyone needed her. But why did this heart her feelings so much? Why did she feel so sad? She never really gave a flip about the pain in the butt before. Hadn't she?

That's when she realized it. It had all been a lie. Of course she had cared about it. The cheerleader was the closest thing she had to a family. To a sister. And now she was dead. And the world needed her. Wait, what was she thinking? Hell, was she _actually_ thinking it? But she had been a mercenary for all of her life. A hired thug. But – maybe? Was it possible for a destroyer to repent and become – not a savior – but – something else? For the better? She didn't know what was drawing her or how she could be moving her feet against her own will. She went back to the bedroom, and knelt down, and pulled something out from under the bed. It was something she had the fortress make for Kal-El. The design was her own, with a certain aspect she thought of. She reached into the box, and lifted a thin, hardened flat object that had been shaped into a pentagon. At its sides, a long flowing red cape was attached to it. On the back of the cape, a symbol which was the same as the one she was holding in her hands. As she stood to her feet, she turned the symbol around and raised it high over her head. Making sure the cape didn't get caught, she slid the symbol and cape over her shoulders and rested the symbol against her chest. Using her thumbs, she pressed the two corners of the symbol at the same time and felt the stiff symbol begin to shift. It began to relax as she felt it actually attaching itself to the front of her solar suit and begin to mold over the curves of her breasts until it looks like it's apart of the suit.

"God, don't let me screw this up." She whispered to herself. She couldn't explain it, and she didn't know why. But the only reason she could think of her actions was that it was something she just had to do. She exited the bedroom and took one last look at the fortress, just in case she wouldn't be able to see it again. She had never done anything like this before, and she was going to have a lot to learn. "Up, up, and away." She said to herself as she took flight and flew out of the fortress like a bat out of hell and made a b-line for Metropolis. The Last Daughter of Krypton was answering her call to action.

"This doesn't make any sense." Kal said to himself as he rechecked the data displayed in front of him. "All the droids are on-line, but they won't answer my commands. What in Rao's name are they all doing?" he asked as he kept trying to access their programming. "Galatea, could you help me for a minute? Galatea?" he asked and looked toward the main chamber. As he did, he couldn't believe what he saw as he watched her fly out of the fortress as fast as she could and off into the horizon. "What is she doing?" he asked himself.

The sounds of something unlocking began to echo through the fortress, making Kal turn and look into the main chamber of the fortress. The floor in the center opened, and a large platform began to rise. Years ago, it was where Brainiac had hidden his vessel. After Kara had destroyed it, there wasn't supposed to be anything down there. Kal quickly made his way to where the platform was rising to try and see what was happening. His eyes widened as he saw what rose out of the floor, being attended to by every droid the fortress had ever created, and couldn't believe what he was seeing. It somehow seemed impossible, but there it stood in front of him.

"Oh my God."


	3. Xerox

REIGN

By FAH3

The hospital room was as clean as clean could be. The strong scent of alcohol and disinfectant was heavy in the air as the various pages and announcements echoed throughout the hallways from the PA system. Inside a private room, the large African-American man stirred in his sleep. Bandages covered his various cuts and gashes while several bruises were exposed to the rest of the world. His muscles were well defined from various activities in his life while the top of his head had the stubble growing from lack of being shaved. As he opened his eyes, he was temporarily blinded from what little light that was reflecting off of the polished surface of the floor. As he tried to sit up, he felt a strong pair of hands help him sit up.

"Be careful, Dr. Irons. You've been out of it for a while." The deep voice said to him.

"H-how did you know . . . I was a doctor?"

"Because we once worked together on a project." The voice's owner said, causing the man to look up. "It's nice to meet you again, Dr. Irons."

"Dr. Load. I remember you." He said as he rubbed the side of his head and winced when he felt several stitches holding a gash closed. "Does anyone else here know who I am?"

"No. The foreman said your name was Henry Johnson. I assumed there was a reason you're living under an assumed name, which is why I didn't correct them." Wade said as he sat in a near by chair as Dr. Irons reached for a glass that had water in it and took a sip.

"How long have I been here?" he asked.

"About a day and a half." Wade answered. "What were you doing at that construction site?"

"I was working there. When Doomsday showed up, everyone began evacuating. I saw Superwoman tried to fight him and wanted to help. I grabbed a sledgehammer, but that's when the whole building fell on top of me. I don't remember a lot after that." Irons said to him. "Did she stop Doomsday?" he asked Wade.

"She did. But, she didn't make it." Wade told him.

"Oh God, no." Irons said as he closed his eyes tight and let his head fall back against his pillow. "It should have been me." Irons said to himself.

"What do you mean?"

"What?"

"What you said just now. What do you mean, it should have been you?" Wade asked him.

"It's a long story."

"I've got time. I let Mr. Stoppable know that I'm visiting a sick friend." Wade told him.

"Do – do you remember the project we were working on?"

"The armored suit. After that malfunction, Miss Gough canceled the project." Wade said.

"At the time, I was also designing several other projects. You see, I was also a weapons designer."

"You were?" Wade asked him. Wade was astounded to hear that part about his career. Dr. Irons research always showed he took a non-lethal approach to his work. But weapons? "What kind?"

"The bad kind. Growing up, my family was harassed and pushed around. And I'll let you guess the main reason why."

"Because of their skin color?" Wade asked.

"Yes. Growing up, my heroes were my grandparents. They had been through a lot, and they never let any of it keep them down. They didn't tell me a lot of what they had to go through. I guess because it was too painful. But, they always encouraged me to keep going and not to take any of the abuse a lot of people kept giving me. When I was eleven, I took an IQ test that impressed the school board. So much so, I was going to be put into high school courses. I ran to tell my grandparents, but I found something else." Dr. Irons said as he fell silent for a few moments. "It turns out, that a group of Klan members had been growing not too far from where they lived. They had caused some trouble, but nothing to actually make anyone take notice. It turned out that a few minutes after I got the news of my IQ tests, they decided to make an example out of my grandparents. I can still see the message they left on the walls." Dr. Irons growled.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Well, that was one of the main reasons I went into my field. I couldn't stand some of the things that have been going on in the world. Especially when they did it for such stupid and meaningless reasons."

"But why weapons?"

"Because I thought if I designed a bigger gun, others would back off. Well, when I took a good look at what I designed, I deleted it. At least I thought I did."

"Don't tell me that the design got out."

"It did. Several months after I deleted the design, I was sent with one of our benefactors to an oil field in Iraq. It turned out that a group of terrorists had attacked the oil fields, and several villages surrounding that area. What I saw was enough horror to last several lifetimes. The U.S. Army had been sent in and they took prisoners, and they confiscated some of the weapons they used. Several of the weapons were my design. The BG-60."

Wade's eyes widened when he heard Irons mention the weapon's name. He had heard of it before, and remembered what he was talking about. He had seen news feeds and saw photos of the villages that were attacked. The BG-60 fired a shell so powerful and so hot that it severed a human in half, and literally cooked all the tissue that was in the body at the same time. What was left was not something for the squeamish, or non squeamish, to ever look at. Ever.

"You – you're the one that – designed those?" Wade asked in shock.

"I know how you feel. When I returned to my lab, I traced any and everyone who could have been able to hack my computer system. I found out it was my – my fiancé. Dr. Angora Lapin."

"Your lab partner?"

"Yes. She stole the designs for it and sold it. I went to confront her, but she had dropped out of sight and off the grid. I couldn't find her anywhere. After that, I couldn't take it. I was responsible for so many deaths, and the one woman I thought I could trust betrayed me. So I destroyed the lab and all my files, and I faked my death. I decided to hide and start over. But not too long after we started the construction on that building I was buried beneath, I found out my weapons were being sold on the streets to gangs. And their upgrades."

"Upgrades?" Wade asked.

"I designed a sister weapon, but it was stronger than the last one. Angora must have stolen that one as well, and now she's selling it to the local gangs. I was honestly thinking about committing suicide when I was up there." Irons said. "I opened Pandora's box. Now I don't know what to do." He said to himself.

"If I were in your shoes, I'd try and put the demons back into the box." Wade said to him.

"I would if I could, Dr. Load. I would if I could."

Wade thought about it for a moment. Irons had created a very dangerous weapon, and now it was loose on the world. If they ever ended up in Gotham, Ron would be killed instantly. Oh Lord, that included Dick and Hanna. They were all in danger. There had to be a way to stop them. But the only one who could stop them was Kim, and she was – no longer with them. And the rest of the league was busy trying to compensate for her absence. Maybe Stargirl's father could help? That suit of his made him look as invulnerable as Kim in that thing. Wait a minute. Not that suit; but _the_ suit.

"Are they only in Metropolis?" Wade asked him.

"I think so." Irons said.

"What if we got your suit up and running?"

"What?" Irons asked him.

"The suit you were making for Stoppable Industries. In theory, would it be able to stand up to those things?"

"The prototype might have stood up to one shot from it. In order to withstand more than one blast, it would have need massive upgrades. But I told you, I destroyed everything when I blew up my lab. The blue prints are gone." Dr. Irons told him.

"But I'm willing to bet that you have a photographic memory, don't you?" Wade asked him.

"Wade, what are you getting at?" Irons asked him.

"It's like I said. If I were you, I would put the demons back in the box." Wade said with a small smirk that would have made Kim proud.

"Wade, it can't be done. I don't know where the prototype itself is. After it malfunctioned, it was scrapped. I don't even know if it still exists. Not to mention, we would need a heavy duty cybernetics lab to even do a diagnostic if we ever did find it." Irons said.

"Dr. Irons, you'd be surprised at the connections I've got." Wade said to him with a smirk.

* * *

"_Well Metropolis, it's another wet and rainy afternoon for you. And it looks like the storm clouds are going to be staying for the rest of the week, too. Almost like a relative you can't stand, huh? This is your weather on WMET radio, and stay tuned for DJ Mac the Maniac with his latest Top 20 countdown."_

"No surprise there. Sun hasn't come out since Superwoman died." The man said as he lit a cigarette from his car's built in lighter and flipped the radio off.

He had just worked another late shift, and was on his way home when he decided he needed a quick smoke. His wife wouldn't even let him smoke on the front porch or the back patio since their daughter was born. He wasn't a smoker like he had been in his college days, but he needed a cigarette whenever stress was getting to him. And with what had happened in the past several days, he really needed. Superwoman dead, a good chunk of Metropolis was destroyed, and he had triple the workload with more to be expected. The stress was so great that it felt like his head was holding up the entire Empire State building. As he took another deep drag of the cancer stick, he couldn't help but sink deeper into a mild depression. It seemed there wasn't any hope left anymore in a world without Superwoman.

"Excuse me?"

He looked out the window and saw a man in a long trench coat not too far from his car. His hair was long, uncombed, and ver greasy. His coat was stained and tattered beyond all hope of being fixed or washed. The raggedy thing should probably be burned. The guy was most likely homeless, probably looking for a spare buck. You know, what the hell? Everyone needs a small break these days.

"How much do you need?" he asked the man as he reached for his wallet in his pants pocket.

"The car."

"What?"

"I said," the homeless man said as he pulled a Ruger 9mm from the confines of his coat and aimed it. "I want the car."

It was as if pure instinct had taken control over his body. As soon as his eyes saw the gun, he hand jammed the car into drive while his foot stomped on the gas pedal as hard as he could. He didn't care about the speed limit or oncoming traffic or even the rain at that moment, he just wanted to save his own life. As he sped away, the man holding the gun sneered in anger as he aimed the pistol and fired two shots at the fleeing car.

"You lousy mother,"

"STOP!" a voice echoed directly behind him.

The man spun around with the gun still leveled as he gazed at the person. It was still dark out because of the cloud cover, and the over head street lamp had been shorted out for months. From what he could see, he could tell that this stupid idiot was a woman. And he couldn't be sure, but she looked like she might be wearing a big ass dress. Here's hoping it wasn't one of those damned Superwoman cultists.

"What the hell do you want?" he sneered.

"You tried to take that man's car. You were going to kill him." She said.

"So what?"

"So that means I haul your ass to the nearest jail and let you rot."

"Like hell!" the man said as he aimed the pistol at the woman's chest and fired three shots.

He was expecting her to fall to the ground like a stack of firewood, but his eyes widened when he saw the bullets bounce harmlessly off of her like they were rubber. As he tried to figure out what had just happened, his jaw almost became unhinged as a car passed by. The brief light of the headlights illuminated the woman's body. He saw that what he had thought was a dress was actually a red cape, and it was attached to a red and yellow pentagon S shield that rested on her chest.

"You're dead! YOU'RE DEAD!" the man screamed as he bolted away from the woman, running deep into the alley and knocking over several garbage cans in the process.

He still gripped the gun tightly as he tried to get away. He couldn't believe what he had seen. It was Superwoman! It was her! But she was dead. He had seen it on the TV. He even saw her get buried for crying out loud. So how could she be alive?! He was so panicked that he didn't even realize what he was doing until he paused to catch his breath. He saw that he had been climbing the fire escape of one of the buildings in an effort to try and get away. He used the moment to catch his breath before he started again. The one thing that kept echoing in his mind was that he had to get away. He had to find some place to hide. As he stumbled onto the roof, he felt the first drops of rain begin to fall on his head as he tried to control his fear and his breathing. He was almost himself again when he head something fly over his head. When he looked up, his breath was stuck in his throat.

The bolts of lightning that illuminated the sky revealed the woman was floating two feet above his head. The cape flowed in the wind like a pair of fully spread wings as her hands began to glow with energy that looked like it came from the sun. As the lightning illuminated the night once more, he saw two yellow orbs covering her eyes that made er seem like a creature from another world.

"No. It can't be! YOU'RE DEAD!" he shouted at the floating figure before him.

"Superwoman is more than flesh and blood, you fool. Superwoman is a symbol. And symbol's are bullet proof. Unlike you." The figure said as her fists began to glow brighter.

His hand was shaking worse than when he tried to stop drinking as he looked at he angry creature in front of him. He raised his hand, trying to aim it at what he hoped was the figure's head. He tried to squeeze the trigger, but screamed in pain as he felt something incredibly hot strike his hand with the force of a cannonball. He looked at his hand and saw that it was still smoking while over half the flesh looked to have been burned away, revealing pink and bright red tissue beneath it.

"You can't be Superwoman. She used to bust guys like me. Not fry them." He whimpered to the floating woman.

"Things change. Life's a bitch, now 0so am I." She said as she raised her hands and hurled a wave of energy at the man as he screamed in pure terror.

* * *

Rain, rain, go away. Piss off and come back when I don't feel like crap. That's what Lois was feeling like at that moment as she sat at her desk. She kept looking at the blank screen in front of her, trying to write a story about the recovery efforts of the police and fire departments in the wake of Doomsday's attacks. But every so often, her eyes would drift back to the empty desk with the dark computer monitor. The jar full of pens and pencil with the erasers chewed on, waiting to be used by their owner. In the corner of the desk stood a framed photo of Ronald Stoppable, his foster son Richard Grayson, and his little sister Hanna. Standing by his side was a very familiar redhead with her hair tied back, and a pair of wire framed glasses. Were they already beginning to get covered in dust?

"_Who are you kidding, Lane? No matter how long you stare at it, nothing's going to change. She isn't coming back."_ Lois thought herself.

She had seen the fight with Doomsday first hand, and she saw how bad she had been hurt. Maybe Lois could have done something to stop her from fighting. No, she couldn't have. Because if she made Kim stop fighting, Doomsday would have killed who knows how many more people? Metropolis might not even be standing right now if it weren't for her. She had to let it go and move on. The whole world did. As she looked back at the blank page in front of her, she opened a new document in her word processor, and began typing a new article.

"Why The World Doesn't Need Superwoman"

"Talk about denial." Lois said to herself as her fingers began to glide over the keyboard.

"OLSEN! CHANGE THAT CHANNEL NOW!" Perry shouted as he bolted out of his office, screaming the few people that were in the city room so early in the morning.

"Which channel, Chief?"

"CNN! AND DON'T CALL ME CHIEF!"

"Pipe down, Perry. You want to give yourself a stroke?" Lois asked him as she stood and followed him to one of the TV's that sat in the room.

"Lois, you're going to need to see this." Perry said as Jimmy found the desired channel.

"What is it? Miss Gough announcing another get richer scheme?"

"Shh!" Perry said, silencing everyone in the room.

"_James Broughton, suspected to be involved in several car thefts, was hospitalized after police responded to reports of a small explosion near Hobbs Bay. Police found Broughton on a roof, suffering third and second degree burns over thirty-five percent of his body. As he was being transported to the hospital, he said Superwoman was the one that had burned him."_

"Did she say what I think she said?" Jimmy asked out loud.

"This is only the second sighting." Perry said.

"Second?" Ron Troupe asked the old reporter.

"A woman was almost raped in the laundry room of her apartment building. She said a woman with a red cape and a yellow visor broke through the wall and beat the living crap out of her attacker."

"And she said it was Superwoman?" Lois asked her.

"Yup. She saw Superwoman's symbol on her chest as clear as day. Except that her savior had dark hair and had a weird energy coming out of her hands."

"So some super powered chick is pretending to be Superwoman?" Jimmy asked.

"Jimmy, remember the last time you called a woman a chick?" Lois asked him.

"Why do you think I wear a cup to work?"

"Wait a minute guys, there's something else coming on."

"_On top of the recent Superwoman sightings, two others have been reported. Astronauts working on a malfunctioning communications satellite encountered problems when a short circuit ignited the satellite's maneuvering thrusters. One astronaut was almost lost until he was rescued by a strange being wearing a Superwoman costume. The astronaut claims that had rescued him looked like the late hero, but also looked more like the Terminator._

"_And in Hobbs Bay, a city bus with faulty breaks almost crashed into a local Wal-Mart until a young girl, wearing the shield of Superwoman, stepped in front of the bus and stopped it with her bare hands before the bus could crash into the store. The young woman seemed to be grandstanding as bus passengers and shoppers gathered before she flew away. Reports state that the young heroine looked to be a teenager, no older than fifteen years old."_

"Teenager? You mean there's a Supergirl running around?"

"What's got me curious is when she talked about the Terminator one. Does that mean a cyborg?" Ron asked.

"Cyborg?" Jimmy asked.

"You know. Half human-half machine."

"All right people, let's cut the horse crap! This is a newspaper, and we've got stories we need to get out! So I want everyone who can spare the time to find out what the hell is going on with these Superwoman sightings! NOW GET TO WORK!" Perry shouted as the reporters scattered like roaches exposed to light. As he made his way back to his office, Perry noticed Lois grabbing her purse and making a b-line to the elevator doors. "Lane, what about that society piece I told you to write about?"

"It can wait!" Lois shouted back as she stepped into an elevator as the doors closed.

"About time the real Lois came back." Perry said as he went into his office. "Now I got refill my blood pressure medication."

* * *

"How much longer until lift off?" Hanna asked as she kept her gaze fixed to the window, looking at everything outside the small private jet.

"Not much longer. They're almost done filling the gas tank." Dick said as he sat on the couch across from his best friend and frowned as he noticed how distant she was. "How are you feeling?"

"Can't complain." She said to him.

"Hanna, is there anything I can do?"

"Yeah. Rewind time and make it to where Kim could have been my mother." Hanna said bitterly as her face hardened.

The more she did that, the more she began to look like Ron when he would wear the mask. He loved Ron like he was his father, but it was beginning to get harder and harder to tell the difference between where Batman ended and Ron began. He would be damned before he let his best fried slip into something like that.

"Hanna, I'm not going to lie. I can't imagine what you're going through right now."

"That's right, you can't. So just save the psycho crap." Hanna growled.

"No, I'm not!" Dick said as she began to glare at me. "You can hate me all you want, but I'm going to say this now. I know you feel like shit. You've been lied to most of your life, thinking your grandparents were your parents. But remember Hanna, Ron didn't know either! He had no clue you were his daughter! But at least you know now. And you can be grateful that your parents are still alive!" Dick said as he began to march toward the back of the plane. Before he could take another step, he found himself shoved into one of the other chairs with a very pissed Hanna in his face.

"I know you're trying to help, Dick. But for once, JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!" she screamed, making Dick's eyes widen. "I don't mind that Ron is my dad. In fact, I'm glad he's my father. I've seen him as my dad for as long as I can remember. It's the fact that not only did the woman I thought was a family friend raped my father when he was unconscious, but Ra's Al Ghul is really my grandfather! What does that make me, Dick?! Am I going to end up like Yori and become an assassin? Is he going to force me to kill people for the rest of my life, just because someone is an asshole in his eyes? Because as far as I can tell, that's what that old buzzard wants! I don't want to kill anyone!" Hanna said as she began to break down and begin to cry.

Dick quickly held Hanna in his arms as she let all the grief poor out. Hanna had a right to be worried. If Ra's knew about Hanna, what was he going to do? Ron had told him what Yori said to him in the cave, and Dick still couldn't believe it. Even if Ra's took her from them, he knew she would never kill. She was too much like Ron; it just wasn't in their nature. If he had to, he'd make the same sacrifice for her that Kim had made for everyone. The same sacrifice that Ron had almost made. Hanna was more than his friend, she was part of his family.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." Lois said as she stepped onto the plane.

"Miss Lane!" Hanna said with surprise as she wiped the tears away from her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to speak to Stoppable. Is here?" Lane asked them.

"Yeah. He's in his office talking to Wade. What's wrong?" Dick asked when he noticed how anxious Lois was looking. If there was one thing he knew about this reporter, she didn't get anxious easily.

"The Planet just found out something really big, and I wanted to let Ron know. You see,"

"There have been three rescues. And each one claims that it was someone posing as Superwoman." Ron said as he stepped out of his office. Lois had to take a step back when she saw how hardened his face was. Dick and Hanna on the other hand knew that face very well. That meant he back to being the Dark Knight again. "Thank you for trying to warn me, Lois. But we've got another problem to deal with."

"We do?" Hanna asked him.

"I just finished talking to Wade. He's not coming back to Gotham City with us." He told them.

"Do what?" Dick asked him. Wade was like an uncle to him and Hanna. Wade had been the mastermind to their suits, gadgets, and so much more. What were they going to do without him there?

"Did we do something to make him mad?" Hanna asked.

"No. He told me one of his friends was hurt in Doomsday's rampage, and he's going to help him back on his feet. So far now, he's staying in Metropolis." Ron told them.

"But who's going to run the bat cave?" Dick asked him.

"That's what's bothering me the most." Ron growled as he looked out the window.

* * *

"I want to know how the sales are going, Rabbit. I don't like waiting." Miss Gough said as she looked out her office window at the Metropolis skyline. She was so used to seeing Kim fly through the air that is was strange for her not to be there. It was still so foreign to her.

"_Sales are going up. With the gangs actually seeing the weapons in action and what they can do, I've got gangbangers offering every cent they have to their name and even their mothers. Pretty soon, all the gangs are going to be packing toastmasters."_ The woman on the other line replied.

"Not all of them. The last thing I need is for Metropolis to look like another God damn war zone." Sherri said.

"_I just can't turn customers away. Some of them have already tried to rob some of my salesmen at gunpoint."_

"I've been generous by letting you use one of my outdated factories. It would be a shame if the police received an anonymous tip about what you were doing there."

"_YOU WOULDN'T!"_

"Try me. I better see my cut of the profits by tomorrow, rabbit." Sherri said as she turned off her cordless phone and sat back in her desk chair.

Sometimes, it sucked having your office at work doubling as your apartment at the same time. As she rubbed her temples, she was wondering if her deal with Dr. Lapin was even worth the trouble. Without Kimmie, it just seemed pointless. She glanced up at the row of monitors above her desk and activated them with a remote that had built into her desk. It had been a slow work day, and she needed something to help keep her mind off of so many things. For once, sex with Mercy didn't help. She was tempted to crack open a bottle of booze, but she quit drinking that crap after the incident with Zod and his sick bastard of a robot lackey. After that, she couldn't bring herself to touch the stuff.

As she gave her neck a quick pop, she gazed back to the monitors and immediately saw something that caught her attention. One of the local stations had Kim's Superwoman insignia up with a large question mark on top of it. Did they discover something about who took her corpse this time? And if they had, why didn't she know about it first? As she turned up the volume for the one monitor, and her eyes widened as she listened.

"_The young teen, wearing the late heroine's symbol, was seen breaking up a gang war hours after CNN reported of her rescue of a runaway city bus. So far, the young super powered teen hasn't answered any questions or clues to who she really is. All she's said to reporters is that she was Superwoman, and she was back in action."_

The screen erupted in a hail of sparks and smoke as Miss Gough's phone flew through the flat screen and destroyed the machinery inside. The cuffs of her blouse were beginning to smoke and burn as her hands began to glow with a faint emerald energy as she balled her fists and marched toward her office door. With barley any effort, she kicked the doors to her office open and immediately walked to Mercy's desk where the assistant sat stunned.

"Is our mole in Cadmus still active?"

"Y-yes, ma'am." Mercy said as she gulped at the look of anger in her lover's eyes.

"You tell that little stool pigeon that I was his ass down here ASAP. If he makes up an excuse, tell him that I'll personally arrange a meeting between his wife and the fishes in Hobbs Bay. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am." Mercy said as the sleeves to Sherri's blouse ignited in green flames as she went back to her office and slammed the doors closed.

* * *

Lois was sipping a much needed cup of coffee as she tried to let her head stop thinking for a moment. Of course, the café she was sitting in front of wasn't helping her thought process. This was the same café her and Kim used to come to compare notes and try and figure out who was plotting what. Ron and his kids were on their way back to Gotham City while Lois was trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Kim's tomb was empty, and now there were reports of three women claiming to be her late friend. What was the world coming to? She was sure the one with the visor wasn't her friend at all. The fight with Doomsday was the first time she had seen Kim fight so hard to take something down. Violence was always the last thing she resorted to. And the reports said that the visored Superwoman was kicking ass first and asking questions never. That was not her friend.

And a cyborg? The closest thing the world had to a cyborg was John Corbin. Or what had he been calling himself now? Metallo! That's what it was. Kim had told her all about that – thing. Thank you power hungry Miss Gough for creating a modern day Frankenstein monster. Last time she brought that tin can on-line, he went on a small rampage. After the Justice League caught him, he was powered down in a vault in STAR Labs. But could someone turn Kim into a cyborg? No, they couldn't. Kim was an alien for Christ's sake. Making a Kryptonian a cyborg would be like trying to make a piece of spaghetti do the tango. It had to be a trick somehow. What about that other one that was claiming to be Superwoman? The teenager.

"I just don't believe this, Lois. You used to write about me all the time, and now nothing? What do I have to do to make the front page now? Stop a building from falling down?" a young voice asked her.

Lois looked up and almost inhaled her coffee at what she saw. Sitting across from her, and sitting in the same position Kim used to, was the young Superwoman! Her red hair was long and tied into a ponytail. A pair of dark emerald sunglasses sat on the bridge of her nose as she glanced through a copy of the Daily Planet, much like the way Kim's glasses would when she was reading. Her uniform was a slightly dark shade of blue, with bright red trim on the shoulders and stretched down to her deltoids. She had a pair of red gloves that covered her hands and went to her forearms that almost looked more like a pair of gauntlets. The belt around her waist was a black Club Banana designer belt that seemed to have been placed there as a fashion statement. Her boots were red with gold straps keeping them in place. If Lois didn't know any better, she would swear that she was looking at a younger version of Kim. The only exception was that her skin was slightly pale. Almost like she had never been in the sunlight before.

"Who are you?" she asked the young woman.

"Let's see. Bright red hair? Check. Blue, yellow, and red tights? Check. Super powers? Check. S on the chest? Check." She said to the reporter as she lowered the newspaper.

"You still haven't answered my question." Lois stated flatly.

"Come one, Lois! Can't you tell? I'm Superwoman." The teenager said.

"More like Supergirl." Lois said and notice how the teen's expression soured slightly as her jaw popped.

"I really, really don't like being called that." She said.

"Look kid, Superwoman is dead. Not to mention that the last time I saw her, she had already gone through puberty." Lois said as she began to stand up.

"Wait!" the girl said as she caught Lois by the arm and urged her to sit back down.

"Okay, you're right. I'm not the original Superwoman. But I can let you in on a secret that no one's supposed to know about, but I'm going to let you have the exclusive." The teen said.

"I can hardly wait to hear this." Lois said sarcastically.

"You see, I'm a clone of Superwoman."

"And not her love child? I'm an investigative reporter, not a gossip columnist." Lois said to her.

"It's true! I don't have her memories because there wasn't a living brain to work from. But I am a clone. Cadmus grew me in one of their labs." The teenager said to her.

"Hold on. Did you say that Cadmus created you? As in Cadmus Labs?" Lois asked her. Cadmus was the government lab that had stolen Superwoman's body the first time and wasn't willing to give it up without a fight. If this kid was telling the truth, Cadmus was going to be up the creek without a paddle.

"Yeah. Those squints there fed everything I needed to know in my head as I grew in that oversized test tube. But when they tried to put a bunch of military junk in my brain, I decided it was time for this bird to fly." The teenager said.

"Military?" Lois asked out loud. She already didn't like the sound of that. "Those government bastards." Lois whispered to herself. "How come you're telling me all this?"

"I don't know. Something just tells me I can trust you. And you used to write about me all the time, so I thought you might be the best one to talk to."

"But why would you want to tell your story in the first place? Aren't you scared Cadmus is going to try and take you back?" Lois asked her.

"Oh please!" the teenager said, almost laughing hysterically at what Lois had said to her. "Let them try and take me back. I tied one of those nerds up and gave him a bow tie made out of a led pipe. I can take those lab geeks any day of the week." She said.

"And you like al the attention you get from being in the limelight." Lois said.

"Is that a bad thing?" the teenager asked, making Lois smirk as she reached into her purse.

"Please. Tell me more." Lois said as she removed her pen and small notebook.

* * *

"_This doesn't make any sense."_ Ron thought to himself as he kept his eyes on the passing landscape outside the window.

He knew he went to Metropolis on a small chance that what he had seen might have been a dream, but it felt so real. Talking to Kim, holding her hand. And the rush he felt when he came back. And when they opened her tomb and saw that she wasn't there, he actually felt hope fill him. There were no signs that the vault had been broken into or tampered with. No signs at all. They couldn't find fingerprints, and nothing that showed her body was taken. The tomb was as clean as the day they put her body back in there. But these sightings of three different Superwomen didn't make any sense. What was going on? In the dream, or vision, Jor-El and Dr. Possible told Kim and himself that she was still alive. So where was she? It was obvious these vigilantes weren't her, so where was Kim?

_"Get a hold of yourself, Stoppable."_ He thought sadly. He was grasping at thin straws here, and he knew it. He had developed himself as one of the greatest detectives, and he was acting like a rookie. So if he wanted to find Kim, alive or dead, he had better put those skills to use. That was going to be the only way for him to figure all of this out.

Ron groaned as he felt the bullet wound act up and reached for his medication. He was about to open the bottle when he stopped himself. He had been relying on too much since she had died. He had been relying on Dick and Hanna when he almost lost his mind, and he had been relying on everyone else for support. Not anymore. Gotham City needed him, and he needed to be focused again. He removed his hand from the lid, and tucked the bottle back into his pocket as he focused the discipline he learned. Something he learned form the school and from Ra's Al Ghul so many years ago. To fight against the pain and ignore it.

Too many things had happened, and he needed to adapt himself to them. Kim's body was missing again, and he needed to study the clues. Wade was gone and his replacement was making sure everything was ready for their return. He hated that Wade had been training a replacement in secret, but he understood why. It was no secret that Ron hated change, and he still wasn't that fond of it. He couldn't blame Wade for wanting to do something else. He had been the tech guy for Wade and himself for so long that others would have gone nuts by now. But one thing was obvious, something was up. He wasn't sure what it was, but it was something bug. A very big change was on the horizon.

The mansion stood like a castle, as it always had. But at the moment, it seemed a little more colder than usual; somewhat darker. Everyone knew why, they just couldn't bring themselves to admit it. Dick and Hanna pulled themselves out of the car first and went around to gather their bags as Ron took his time exiting the vehicle. He had finished his sulking on the plane, and was now pondering. He was trying to establish a list of who could steal Kim's body like that, and so far the list was growing shorter and shorter by the second. Sherri was the one who put the security devices in place, but there was also Global Justice tech in there as well. She didn't know where they had place there safe guards, so she wouldn't risk it. Her ex-husband, Lex Luthor, would be bold enough to attempt something like that. His wealth and power was equal to Miss Gough, so he had the means. But why would he want to? Loophole? No, that guy was a joke. He couldn't even think of anyone from the League database that would be able to try something like that. What about Gorilla Grodd? The overgrown chimp had once tried to unite the most powerful criminals as some kind Legion of Doom, but had failed. He had also developed a device capable of mind control, so could it have been him? Would he try to find a way to harness her powers? No, not him. He wouldn't want to have anything to do with humans. Despite his genius, Grodd was a very well known and unstable racist when it came to humans. Despite being Kryptonian, Kim looked too human for his taste. This was going to keep him up for weeks.

As Ron breathed in the Gotham air and smelled the breeze that was coming off the ocean beneath the cliffside, he felt more of his himself beginning to return. He glanced up into the evening side and saw the Bat signal shining against the gathering clouds like a beacon. Ron balled his fist and heard all the bones pop into place as his mind began to become alert. The vacation was over. It was time to go to work.

"Is it me, or does this place seem – empty?" Hanna asked as she walked into their home in Gotham City.

"Yeah, it does. It's just feels so weird that Wade isn't here." Dick said as he heard his voice echo.

"We'll get used to it, Dick. Just give it some time." Ron said as he walked in and placed his cane in a near by corner.

"Where are you going?" Hanna asked him.

"To the cave. I've sat on the bench long enough. Gotham needs me." Ron said as he made his way to the study.

"You owe me twenty bucks." Hanna said to Dick as they followed him into the study and saw him alter the time on a large grandfather clock that was propped against the wall. "Bro, it's still way too soon." Hanna said to him.

"We don't have a choice, Han." Ron said to her as the clock slid open and revealed a hidden stairway.

"Ron, you got shot and almost died; and now we just found out Kim's body was stolen again. You need a break or you're going to snap! Remember what happened with the Joker?" Dick said.

"Give it a rest, Dick. I feel well enough to go out on patrol again." Ron said as she rubbed his stomach.

"Because your meds are working! You could very well – whoa!" Hanna said as she and Dick stopped and saw the bat cave.

When they had left, the Bat cave was still being reconstructed with mainly very few people that Wade trusted. The new bat cave looked more like an advanced command center you saw from a movie like Starship Troopers. A giant computer with three large display screens was the first thing they saw that was on an elevated platform. Not too far from the cave's entrance they came through was a large display case that had the first uniforms they had worn. There were three sets of stairs that led away from the platform and led into other directions. The first set lead downward to where a series of state-of-the-art labs and clean rooms rested and waited to be used while another set led to the new and more advanced and sleeker tumbler. Along the platform where the tumbler saw were the vaults that held their separate uniforms they would need for different missions or crimes. The final platform led upward to what looked to be a large hanger. From their point of view, they could make out the shape of what may have been a very advanced jet plane.

"They did all this in a few weeks?" Dick asked himself.

"Wade's final gift to us." Ron said as he sat in the leather chair that was in front of the new computer and automatically began reading crime reports and other data from Gotham PD. It looked like things had stayed in a relative calm by shinning the bat signal. But even a small rise in the crime rate was too much for him. What was worse, the scarecrow had escaped from prison again. That fear obsessed lunatic on the loose was more than enough reason for him to suit up.

"Bro, would stop and think for a moment?" Hanna asked him as he stood up and began walking down the steps and too the new vault that had his uniforms. "Without Wade, who are you going to rely on here?"

"Ask her." Ron said as he entered the access code and the door hissed open. While Ron walked into the vault, Dick and Hanna just looked at each other blankly.

"Her who?" Dick asked.

"That would be me." A voice said the elevator from the mansion open. They turned and were surprised to see who it was. A young woman, no older than 19 years old, maneuvered her motorized wheelchair into position as she tied her red hair into a ponytail. A small smirk crossed her lips as she saw the puzzled and confused looks on Dick and Haana's faces.

"Babs?" Dick asked.

"Wade's replacement is our old babysitter?" Hanna asked out loud.

"Nice to see you too, bubble butt." Barbara said as she maneuvered her chair towards them.

"I told you not to call me that." Hanna growled at the older teen.

"Why did Wade choose you?" Dick asked her.

"Wade was my tutor for most of my college courses. After a while, he thought I would be the perfect assistant to help with your little – nocturnal activities?" Barbara asked with a small smirk. Despite what the Joker had done to her, she seemed to still be in pretty high spirits.

"Did you know about this?" Hanna asked Dick who only shrugged.

"I knew." Ron said as he emerged from the vault with a newly designed and state of the art uniform. To make sure Ron wasn't injured again, the new suits were evenly plated and overlapped to try and increase mobility while protecting him at the same time. "If you're going to be apart of this team, there are three rules you're going to be following Miss Gordon." Ron said as he reached behind his head and pulled the new cowl over his head and let it settle snugly against the upper half of his face.

"What are those?" Barbara asked him.

"Rule number one," Ron asked as he slid into his Batman persona like he was slipping into a pair of old slippers. "You give me everything you've got. Second rule. After you've given me everything you've got, you give me more. And the last one is that _I_ make the rules. Understand?" he asked her.

"Got it." Barbara said as she began to feel intimidated as she saw the Dark Knight in front of her with no sign of Ron Stoppable to be found.

"Wade is a friend. He's family. He wasn't a butler, but his help had saved our live countless times. I expect you to be better than Wade ever was if you want to stay in this cave." Ron said as the Tumbler opened and Ron quickly entered the massive assault vehicle. "I'll be at police headquarters. You both can meet me there." Batman said as the cockpit began to close, and the engines begin to come to life.

"But how are we – going to get there?" Dick asked in vain as the Tumbler sped away with a roar, leaving both of them in the dust. Moments later, the platform the Tumbler had been sitting on opened as two large cases raises into place. Both opened like a jewelry box, and revealed two new sleek and highly advanced motorcycles.

"Is he always like that?" Barbara asked them.

"He's usually not this intense." Dick said.

"When he's this eager to get onto patrol, it means he's frustrated." Hanna said as her brows furrowed deeply in thought. "He's not sure." Hanna said.

"About what?" Barbara asked them.

"The Superwoman sightings. He's not sure on which one is – the real one." Dick said as he caught himself before he could reveal Kim's real identity.

"Or if any of them are really her." Hanna said in a scenic tone as she and Dick went to their separate vaults.

"How do you know that?" Barbara asked.

"We've worked and lived with him for years. Trust me, you learn to read his moods like they were a book." Hanna said as she emerged in her new Batgirl uniform.

It was completely black that conformed to her body like a second skin. A few impressions in the bodysuit indicated that the armored plating was underneath the upper layer of the suit that seemed more flexible than the usual uniforms. A more advanced utility belt hung around her wait as the yellow outline of a bat sat on her chest. The cape was attached to the cowl as she reached behind and pulled it over her head. The cowl itself completely covered her face, without even leaving an opening for her mouth. Instead, a dual speaker and gas mask had been placed inside the full mask with tented state-of-the art lenses sat in the cowl's eye sockets that fed her information.

"I could get used to this." She said as she walked over to the waiting motorcycle and placed the uniquely designed helmet over her head.

"Speak for yourself." Dick said as he stepped out with his new uniform. The green arms and legs were gone now. The entire uniform was reed with black gauntlet gloves and boots. His utility belt appeared to be the same as Hanna's, as his black cape with a yellow inner liner seemed to drape over him almost like Ron's cape would from time to time. His mask was completely black and wrapped around his head instead of a domino mask. Almost like it was a modified cowl. Two yellow lenses that displayed information were set into the eyes of the mask, and a gothic style yellow R sat in the upper left hand corner of his chest, with a strange black circle underneath it.

"How does it look?" Dick asked her as he walked to his motorcycle.

"I liked the old one better." Hanna said as she mounted the bike.

"Very funny." Dick said as he put the helmet on and mounted the machine. "How do these things start?" Dick asked when he couldn't see the starter.

"Place your thumbs on the plates that are in the center of your control consoles." Barbara said as she roller herself to the large computer and brought her systems online. She soon heard the engines of the motorcycles roar to life and speed away as all the data began to appear on the monitors came to life. Everything was green on the Tumbler, Red Bird cycle, but Hanna's cycle was beginning to show a small problem with her fuel mixture.

"This is Oracle. Batgirl, check your console. You need to make a few adjustments on your Nightwing cycle."

"_Got it, Oracle."_

"_Nightwing? That's a dumb name."_ Robin said.

"_Like Red Bird is any better." _Batgirl shot back.

"_Cut the chatter. Only use this channel if you need to."_ Batman said before everything went quiet, and the data showed that the Tumbler's speed just increased.

As Barbara kept her eyes open and her fingers ready, she had a strong feeling that it was going to be a long night.

* * *

A sigh of happiness escaped Galatea's mouth as she flew back to the fortress and enjoyed the wind in her face. She really did feel good today. It actually felt nice actually helping people out there in the world for once instead of just doing what made her happy. She wasn't really into the whole hero thing yet. But if this is what Kimmie always felt like after helping people, it was no wonder she kept doing it. As soon as she saw the blizzard the protected the fortress, her smile became wider when she began thinking about the large bed that waited for her within its walls.

She flew through the fierce wind and snow like it was a small breeze and soon flew through the entrance into the Fortress of Solitude. She touched down not too far from where Kal was sitting in a chair the fortress had created with his eyes glued to the monitors. Every one of them was tuned to a different channel that was reporting the news all over the world. A small smirk crossed her face as she quietly walked behind him Kal as he watched the news. She bent over quietly and began kissing his neck while lightly biting him every few seconds.

"Did you miss me?" she asked as she draped her arms around his shoulders.

"I wish you would have told me what you were going to do." Kal said to her.

"I didn't plan on it." She said to him.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know." She said as she stepped around the chair and sat in Kal's lap while laying her head on his chest. "I kept seeing the world going to hell, and I just felt like I had to do something. So, I grabbed this cape and left." She said to him, but noticed the small frown on his face. "What's wrong?" she asked him.

"I've been watching the news, Galatea. Did you have to be so rough?" he asked her.

"You mean that car jacker? He was going to kill somebody for a piece of,"

"Not just that." He said as he looked slightly more depressed. "You killed someone."

"No I didn't." she said, wondering what he was talking about.

"The rapist at that apartment complex?"

"Him? I threw him through a wall, but I didn't kill him. The bastard was still breathing." She said as she straightened herself and looked at him.

"You just missed the broadcast. He died at the hospital a few minutes ago." Kal told her.

Galatea's eyes began to widen to the size of saucers as his words struck her brain like a hammer hitting a large brass bell. She had hurt plenty of people in her life. Some fighting, others for pissing her off. But one part of Kimmie that was passed on to her was that she did not want to kill, nor did she ever try. She swore that she didn't throw him that hard. She didn't have her x-ray vision back yet, but her hearing was better than any bat. Everything was all right with, she couldn't hear anything hemorrhaging.

"H-how – how did?" Galatea tried to ask.

"They didn't say." Kal said and felt her begin to shake like a leaf on the water. The look on her face and her body language instantly told him she didn't mean to kill the man. Without a second thought, he held her tightly against himself to console her. "I told you, you have to be careful in this suit. You're not used to it yet, and I wanted you to train with it first." He told her.

"I didn't – mean to."

"I know you didn't." he said as he continued to hold her close, and gently stroked her dark hair. He couldn't stand to see her like this. It felt like something was actually grabbing his heart and crushing it every time he saw her upset. He just wished he could make all this pain she was feeling go away.

"I don't deserve to wear it, do I?" she asked him.

"Wear what?" he asked her. A few moments later, she lifted the S shield off of her suit and over her head as she let it and the cape that was attached to it drop to the floor. "That. I don't deserve to wear that."

"Yes, you do. It will take time, but I think you do deserve to wear it." He said to her.

"How do you know?" she asked him.

"Because you're showing me right now. You just need a break before trying to be – I mean before wearing that cape again." He said to her. "Can I get you anything?" he asked her.

"Just hold me." She whispered to him as she tried to mold herself closer to him. For the first time, she was feeling true remorse for her actions. As she sat there, she couldn't help but think that it sometimes sucked to be a real person.

* * *

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS SHIT?!" Sherri screamed as she threw the latest edition of the Daily Planet in the face of a slightly balding man that was sitting in what could be loosely considered an interrogation room. Sherri was using every bit of her will power to prevent her body from erupting in green flames when she read the head line of the newspaper. Her rage only increased when she found out that Lois Lane had interviewed the wonder teen yesterday.

"Miss Gough, I can explain." The man said as he shivered with fear. Every time he got this nervous or upset, he began to tremble like crazy.

"You had better be able to. When I gave you the data I had stolen from Dr. Drakken about cloning Superwoman, you told me all the attempts failed. You said that all of the Cadmus clones had reverted to some sort of retarded simpleton when their skin began to crystallize. Did you lie to me?" Sherri asked him.

"No. What I said back then was true. Despite her appearance, Superwoman wasn't human. When we tried traditional methods, the DNA would mutate and begin to break down. The only reason that Drakken's clone survived was because he had altered and augmented the subject's DNA structure. But all the others would only hold their normal form for a maximum of two days, and then would degrade. It was impossible with our limited technology." The man said.

"Then how do you explain this little brat in the paper? She's telling everyone that not only is she a clone of Superwoman, but that Cadmus was creating her as a weapon! What I want to know is how you did it. Or is this little bitch going to become stupid and look like a bad sculpture too?" Sherri asked him.

"No. Her DNA structure is stable. She's perfectly fine. And she wasn't going to be a weapon. We had safeguards for her. Protocols. But when we tried to put them in place, she resisted. We underestimated how strong her powers were." He said.

"How does she have powers? My own squints told me that it would take years of exposure to solar radiation for a Kryptonian to build up the amount of energy Superwoman had in order to do everything that she was capable of."

"We didn't know that." He said as he took a deep breath. "We weren't sure how much solar energy she would need. So we kept her under a modified solar lamp all through her development."

"You stupid son of a bitch. Why would you do something so dumb?" Sherri asked.

"Westfield and the boys from Washington thought that the world needed Superwoman. They rushed the project into production as soon as we found a way to create a stable specimen." He said to her.

"How is that even possible, out of curiosity. How is she stable after so many failures and limited technology?" Miss Go demanded and began to grow even angrier as she saw the man's chin begin to quiver.

"When Cadmus took the corpse, our techs and scientists examined the body from top to bottom. But one thing our scans detected shocked everyone." He began to tell her.

"What was it?" she asked him.

"During the scanning process, we found evidence that she had miscarried." He told her.

Sherri froze in her tracks as her eyes widened. She slowly looked the man in the eyes as she tried to force her brain to start working again.

"Are you telling me that Superwoman was pregnant?" Sherri asked her.

"Yes, she was. From what we saw, it looked like she had lost the fetus during her fight with Doomsday. Her body had been healing at a phenomenal rate and,"

"Healing? But she was dead." Sherri said.

"I know. But we think her body still had solar energy stored in it. Apparently, even in death, it was enough to allow her body to repair itself. But as I was saying, her body had expelled most of the fetus already. But we were able to gather enough of the fetus' remains to get a decent sample."

"And what did you find?" Sherri asked her.

"We couldn't find a paternity match for the father because of the degradation, but the father of her child was most definitely human. That meant Kryptonian DNA and Human DNA are compatible for interbreeding. And that was when we made a realization. We couldn't clone the fetus because the sample was so small. But, we could use it as a blueprint for creating a hybrid since we had collected more than enough samples from Superwoman's corpse."

"A hybrid? Wait a second. Do you mean tell me that this kid is Superwoman's daughter?"

"In a way, yes." The man answered.

"Then who's the father?"

"That's – a little more complicated." He said to her.

"I'm all ears." Sherri said to him.


	4. Smackdown

REIGN

By FAH3

"You have to pardon the mess. I just finished a few prototypes not too long ago." Wade said as the lights to the massive lab/workshop came to life.

As Dr. Irons followed on his crutches, he couldn't help but marvel at what he saw. The lab was immense. It was almost four, maybe five, times larger than the lab he had to work with when he first made the prototype armor. Every machine he would ever need to make the prototype were spaced out all over the lab. With all this equipment, he could probably make several prototypes. What was Dr. Load making in here anyway?

"Is it enough?" Wade asked him.

"Enough? It's more than enough!" Irons said with a pleasant smile on his face. "This place is incredible. You could build just about anything in here, Dr. Load. Maybe even the batmobile."

"Or several." Wade whispered to himself as he brought the computers to life. "If you need anything, just let me know and I'll be able to get it. This lab is secluded enough so that no one will be able to hear the machinery." Wade said.

"Dr. Load, I just have to ask. Why do you want to recreate the prototype? It was a failure." Dr. Irons said.

"Dr. Irons, have you ever heard of Kim Possible?" Wade asked him.

"Of course. She's a reporter for the Daily Planet. I read her column."

"But did you ever hear of her _before_ she became a reporter?"

"Well . . . not really. I remember there was a young woman that used to help people around the world. I think her name might have been Kimberly."

"That was Kim. You see, I was always her tech guy. I created her gadgets, ran her web site, all those things. But, I always felt like I wasn't doing enough. I knew that I was helping make difference, being behind a computer just isn't the same thing." Wade told him. Wade saw that Dr. Irons face was neutral for a few moments before it broke out into a wide grin.

"I'm glad you said that, Dr. Load." Dr. Irons said.

"If you had said anything else, I would have stopped this project right here and now." He said as he tried his best to walk toward a computer terminal. "Out of curiosity, do you know your measurements?" Irons asked him.

"Yeah, I do. Why do you ask?"

"Because it's going to be six weeks before I can walk without these crutches. And if we get this thing up and running before then, someone's going to have to wear it." He said with a smile.

"Say what?" Wade asked him.

* * *

STAR Labs

STAR Labs was one of the leading research laboratories in Metropolis that dealt with several fields of science. From inventions all the way down to genetic research, only the scientists of Lex Corp and Cadmus Labs rivaled the developments they had made. After Superwoman's fight with the monster known as Doomsday, the Mayor had given STAR Labs claim to the creature's remains. Ever since then, they had been studying the creature's corpse in any attempt to try and figure out where the creature may have come from. They were also trying to discover why the creature was so impervious. However, many of their investigations had hit dead ends. It seemed that even x-rays weren't even strong enough to examine what lies beneath the creature's thick skin. It was also the reason the head of STAR Labs, Dr. David Connor, was storming down the halls that lead to the heavily fortified floors of the building as his temper boiled. Each footstep sounded more like a steel gauntlet pounding on an iron door.

After swiping his card through several secured locks, four finger print scanners and two retinal scans; Dr. Connor entered the secured laboratory like a steroid fueled bull in the world's largest china shop.

"You better have a damn good reason why the specimen isn't chained to that table, Dr. Brenan!"

"Dr. Connor! What are you,"

"I just received notice that Cadmus came in here and took Doomsday from us. WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP THEM?!" he asked the young brunette doctor.

"I couldn't, sir. They were authorized."

"Authorized? That's impossible. We were the ones assigned to study Doomsday!"

"But our tests weren't leading us anywhere, sir. Everything we've done has been a dead end. Cadmus used that to convince the President to let them try, and he signed Doomsday over to them. I saw the paperwork myself." She said to him.

"I don't believe this." He said as he raked a hand through his thinning hair.

"I don't like it any better than you so, but it's – it's – oh my God." She said as the door to the lab opened and a strange figure joined them. Ass soon as Dr. Brenan saw the new arrival's face, she felt like she wanted to scream.

"What is it?" her boss asked and noticed that she was looking past him. As he turned to see what was wrong, he let out a loud gasp as he felt every nerve in his body flood with intense fear.

"Tell me where he is." the figure asked in a voice that sounded like a woman's but also digital. "Doomsday. Where is he?"

* * *

The Watchtower

We have these images of the first two posers. So far, we don't have any images of the third." Flash said as the original members of the League met in the briefing room. All of them weren't happy about the appearance of these Superwomen imposters, and wanted to make sure Kim's legacy was preserved and not cheapened.

"What about the young one? The one that claims to be a clone?" J'onn asked.

"GJ received word from Jim Harper, and he's confirmed it. It turns out Westfield ordered the clone's creation behind everyone's back. She's the real deal." Green Lantern Will Du said to them.

"I still can't believe this. How can they get away with that?" Shayera asked.

"They can't. Wesfield is sitting in a Federal prison right now for the theft of her body, and the clone. They don't know what they're going to charge him with." Lantern said.

"And the clone?" Shayera asked.

"There's nothing they can do. She's a living person like everyone else." J'onn said.

"What about the one with the dark hair and visor?" Flash asked.

"We have nothing on her, yet. So far, she's the most violent of the three." J'onn said.

"According to the reports from in and around Metropolis, she's used excessive force. She burned a car jacker with some sort of energy blast. With two drug runners, she broke their legs and gave them a concussion. She broke a bank robber's arms so badly that the bones were nearly crushed. And she killed a rapist." GL said.

"Wait a moment. She killed someone?" Diana asked.

"She threw him through a wall, but he died at the hospital. Their doing an autopsy to determine a cause of death. All the reports about the third Superwoman say she was a cyborg." J'onn said.

"But Earth doesn't have that ability yet. The closest thing to a cyborg is Metallo." Shayera said.

"So our main focus should be on the one with the visor and this so called cyborg." Flash said as he glanced around the table. As he did so, he noticed Diana kept scowling at the display monitor. There were only a few times he saw the Amazon Princess pissed, and the end result was never pretty. "You okay, Wonder Woman?" Flash asked her.

"This visored woman is nothing like Kara." She said.

"Neither are the other two, Dina. The kid is helping everyone for all the press coverage."

"But Kara would not purposely hurt anyone like that woman has. It's an insult to Kara's memory with that woman claiming her name and her symbol." She said.

"We agree, Diana. For now, we need to monitor the crimes in Metropolis more closely. If this visored woman is spotted, we need to apprehend her at once." J'onn said.

"I'll keep an eye out for her." Diana said to herself as she glared at the image. No one ever insulted a warrior like Kim. Not while Diana was still around.

* * *

"CODE RED! REPEAT, CODE RED! WE HAVE A BOGEY ON A DIRECT COURSE FOR CADMUS HQ!" Jim Harper shouted through out the complex as the scrutiny officers scattered to their designated positions. Alarms were blaring through out the base as Harper entered the main command center of Cadmus. On the main screen, a radar image was showing the incoming bogey and showed that it was coming at them with the speed of a fighter jet. Maybe even faster. "Any change in course?"

"No, sir. Bogey is still heading straight for our position and it's not stopping, sir."

"Can you identify it?"

"Sensors are reading it as a humanoid, sir."

"Is it the kid?"

"No, sir. Mass is completely different from the kid. Bogey is unknown."

"Scramble the Sky Sentinels at once. Maybe they can shoot this thing down. Or buy us some time." He said as he looked at various other screens that were tracking what they were temporarily calling a UFO.

"Sir?"

"What is it, soldier?"

"We just intercepted a call from STAR Labs to the Metropolis PD. Someone just stormed through there demanding for the Doomsday creature."

"Son of a bitch. Whatever this thing is, it's coming for him. I WANT CADMUS ON FULL LCOK DOWN! ALL PERIMETER DEFENCES ARE TO BE ACTIVATED NOW!" Harper shouted as he grabbed a near by headset. "Sentinels, this is Harper. Tell me you've got a visual."

"_We have a radar lock and we're activating night vision now, sir. I see the bogey now, sir!"_

"_Damn, that thing is coming fast. Permission to arm weapons, sir?"_

"Permission granted, maximum fire power. Whatever it is, that sucker is coming for the Doomsday creature's corpse. Don't let that thing get anywhere near here!" Harper ordered.

"_Affirmative, sir. Lock and load men!"_

"_Wait a minute. Sir, I have a clear visual on it."_

"Then open fire, damn it!"

"_Sir, I swear that it's"_

There was a noise so loud and intense that it made Harper throw the headset off and cover his ears as others winced from the noise. After a few seconds, Harper put the headset back on and tried to re-establish contact with the sentinels.

"Sentinels, this is Harper. Do you read me? Sentinels, come in!" he asked, but received only static. "Will someone tell me what's happened?!" Harper shouted.

"I've got them, sir. Whatever it was, it sent them into a free fall. But they're okay. They've re-established a stable flight path." One tech said.

"And the bogey?"

"It's still coming, sir."

"Shit. What's its ETA?"

"One minute, sir."

"At least we'll have home court advantage." Harper said as he activated the comm system. "This is Director Harper to all non-military personnel. The Sky Sentinels have failed and the bogey is in the zoom way. All civilian and non-military staff are to report to a secured area and remain confined in there until further notice. All military and security forces are to report to battle positions, and weapons ready. Switch visors to infra-red. We're running silent." Harper said as all the lights in the facility shut off. Harper quickly moved to another location that had the infra sensors activated so he could see what the hell was going on.

"This thing is going to have to be a bat to get past our security teams." Harper said as he kept his eyes locked.

"Bogey is in the complex, sir. It's not much, but we have a visual."

"Bring it up. I want some idea of what the hell we're dealing with." Harper said as the tech in front of him called up the data. "What the hell?"

The image in front of him showed a slim human like figure. Judging from the way it looked, perhaps it was a female. It looked to be wearing a cape, but several places one the intruder's body were barley giving off any kind of a heat signature. Like it was – artificial.

"_We've spotted the intruder! We're engaging the target."_

"_The weapons have no affect!"_

"_WHERE IS DOOMSDAY?!"_

"_Oh no! It can see us! It can – AAGGHH!" _

"_Intruder is approaching zone two! Open fire! Open – AAARRGGHH!"_

"_GIVE ME WHAT I WANT, AND I'LL LEAVE!"_

"Our forces aren't even slowing it down, sir! It can see them in the dark!"

"Fire all disrupters at full power. I want this thing blown apart! Tell all the men stay down on the floor. We're in a kill zone now." Harper said shouted.

The visual they were watching turned white as all the facility weapons aimed and opened fire on the intruder. They couldn't make heads or tales of anything that was happening, or if the intruder was still standing. Not even the other sensors could tell them anything as most of the power was being drawn to the weapons.

"_You're wasting your time. Your weapons can not hurt me. Give me Doomsday!"_ The intruder said.

"That's it, I've had it! Stop the weapons and turn the lights on. I want to know what the hell we're dealing with!" Harper ordered.

"_There's no way you're going to stop me. I've come for Doomsday."_

The lights were soon restored in the command center, and through the rest of the complex. As the monitor switched to the normal security cameras, Harper saw something that shook him down to his very core. "Sweet Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! It – can't – be." he said as he began to cross himself. Something he hadn't done in several years.

"_Give him to me, NOW!"_

* * *

"_In the wake of the second theft of the late heroine's body, several reports of rescues preformed by super beings who have claimed to be the late Superwoman have been coming all over and around Metropolis. Ever since the theft of the body and the reported sightings, more and more Superwoman cultists have been flooding the sight of Superwoman's tomb. The cultists believe that Superwoman is the second coming of the messiah, and that her theft is actually a resurrection for her to continue her battle against the forces of evil. _

_Last weekend, Daily Planet investigative reporter, Lois Lane, revealed that one of the beings claiming to be Superwoman is actually a clone that was created by Project Cadmus. Project Cadmus, a government research lab that was responsible for the first theft of Superwoman's body, was questioned about the supposed clone's origins. Acting Cadmus director, Jim Harper, has chosen not to comment at this time."_

"I can't believe this!" Anne said as she turned off the TV and dropped the remote on the coffee table. She rubbed her temples to try and make the small headache she was suffering from go away. But the smell of old coffee and alcohol wasn't helping. She had decided to come to work again so she could try and deal with the loss of her daughter, but everything on the news was driving her nuts! Kim's body gone, and these – these pretenders?! And now she finds out that they cloned her! How dare they!

"Mom?"

"Tim? I thought you and your brother were at work?" Anne said one of her twin boys entered the employee lounge.

"Jim's still at work. When I watched the news earlier, I thought you might want to talk." Tim said to her as took a seat next to her.

"Right now, I just wish I was drinking woman." Anne said to herself as she laid her head on her folded arms.

"You don't mean that." Tim said.

"I need something to help me deal with all this non-sense."

"I guess you already saw the Planet, then?"

"And Fox news, CNN, and every damn station that exits." Anne said as she gritted her teeth. "How could they do that? How could they clone her?" she asked as she looked at her son.

"I don't know, mom. Frankly, it turns my stomach just thinking about it." Tim said. When it came to the realm of cloning, he didn't know what to think of it. The idea of creating a duplicate human being sometimes sent shivers down his back. Genetically speaking, it was the same person, but it would be a completely different person no matter what. So just because this kid was a clone of his sister, didn't mean that she was. She never grew up with him, she didn't go to high school or meet Ron. She just – wasn't Kim. "Out of curiosity, where's Kal?"

"Oh. He's still at the fortress." She told him.

"He's still there?"

"Yes. When I e-mailed him, I asked when he was coming home. He said he was working on a project and didn't know when he'd be home." Anne said as she took a deep breath. "God, I miss that boy."

"I don't blame him for staying there."

"You don't?"

"No. Look at it his way, mom. He's on a planet that looks more like he's been thrown who knows how far into his planet's past. He didn't grow up here like Kim. To him, he must be among cavemen. And Kim was the only one left of their kind. With her gone, he probably feels alone."

"I tried to tell him he wasn't." Anne said.

"I know you did, mom. But being told that and actually knowing it are two different things. He'll come back when he's ready." He said.

"I hope you're right." Anne said as she took another deep breath. "I'm going to head to the roof for a minute to help clear my head. You can go ahead and go home. When I get off work, I'll get us some take out."

"Are you sure?"

"I'll be fine, Tim. You don't have to worry about your old mother." Anne said to him.

"All right. But call if you need anything. Okay?" Tim asked as he stood and began to leave.

"I will, Tim." She said as he left the room. "Maybe fresh air will clear my head.

* * *

The view from the roof was actually quite beautiful. When Kim was younger and Anne brought her to work with her, she would take Kim up here to see almost all of Middleton from here. When they had helicopters dropping off emergency patients, you didn't really have a lot of time to just stand and look. But every so often, this was a wonderful place to take a break. Of course, every now and then, she caught a few RN's and doctors up here practicing their bedroom technique. Of course she wasn't one to say. Her and James would have a quick get together up here themselves. So much had changed in these past months. Several months ago, she would have given anything to have her daughter back. Or to just see her face one more time. As she took one more deep breath to make herself go inside, she thought she heard some kind of thump behind her.

"Mrs. – Possible?" a strange voice asked behind her.

It sounded like a woman, but there was something different in it. Almost synthetic? Maybe even digital, like a keyboard. As she turned around, a loud gasp of shock escaped her mouth as her heart increased to a ferocious speed. She was face to face with a strange – thing. It looked mostly human, but it wasn't. From the creature's mid thighs downward were two sleek metal legs that looked more like sculptures made by a master artist. Both were so polished that they held a perfect reflection of the environment around it. At its chest, the right arm and part of the creature's torso was also the same as the legs. A strange robotic arm that was smooth, sleek, and had a reflective high polish. And through a mane of red hair that was blowing in the wind, Anne could see that the left eye, the side of its head, and part of its jaw was also the same. Where they eye would sit was a glowing high polished red lens that almost looked like ruby quartz. As Anne took the sight in, she also noticed something else. She was wearing a blue uniform and a red cape, similar to the uniform that Kim used to wear. Right down the symbol of the House of El on her chest. As the creature brushed the hair back with her robotic limb, Anne gasped again as she saw the face of her daughter!

"You are Mrs. Possible? Someone – who was very important to me." it asked again.

"Who – what? How can?" she asked as both gazed at each other.

"I know I'm different. Perhaps – unpleasant to look at. But I am Kara Jor-El."

"You can't be." Anne said as she looked at the being in front of her. "You look so . . . . I mean . . . does it hurt?"

"No. I really don't feel any pain." The creature said.

"This is impossible." Anne said as she tried to control her anxiety.

"Anything is possible – for a Possible. Is that right? I'm so – unsure of so much." The creature said as it glanced to the right, like it was deep in thought and worry. Only her family and Ron knew that old saying. Could this be Anne's little girl?

"If you're really – how did you come back? How can you be part - - machine?" she asked the cyborg.

"I can't remember." The cyborg said as it looked sad; almost depressed. "So much of my past is a haze to me. My memories are all so scattered."

That's when the rational part of Anne's mind came back online. If this thing was going to try and pass itself off as her daughter, it had another thing coming. "That's a little convenient, isn't it?" Anne said as she narrowed her eyes. You know, anyone can put on a blue costume and say they're Superwoman. If you're really her, you're going to have to prove it. Tell me something that only she would know."

"Everything is so random. Voices and places that last for only seconds. I try so hard to remember. But I think – there was a high school. A young blonde boy with freckles. He had a pet, some sort of naked – rat?" it said.

"_Ron and Rufus!"_ Anne thought to herself, but didn't let herself hope. She would need more than that.

"But I remember a man – dying. He was so important to me. It felt like I failed him. He was very important to both of us. The name begins with a J. James, I think."

"_James! Her father! Can it really be you?"_ Anne thought as she felt her throat close in on itself.

"It's frustrating! I've been through so much, and it feels like I'm not the way I _should_ be! I want to remember! I want to know who I was!" the cyborg said as the human side of her face filled with despair, and tears began to fall from the one normal eye. Anne wanted to believe it was her daughter, that she had her baby back. But after living with a scientist for so long, a part of her self demanded more concrete proof. And she knew of one way to find out if this was her daughter or someone else's twisted experiment.

"I might be able to help. There's someone that used to work with Superwoman in the past. If anyone can verify that you're her, it's going to be Professor Hamilton." She said.

* * *

Kal walked softly as he could to the bedroom of the fortress and looked inside. Galatea was still asleep in the bedroom with the windows closed and the lights off. There was enough light from the rest of the fortress filtering through the opening to allow him to see her nude body under the sheets of the bed. He had been trying to comfort her as much as he could, but she was still upset at what she had done. He couldn't blame her for hurting the rapist, but her actions led to his death. And the one thing he nor Kim could stand was the taking of another life. Apparently, she couldn't stand it either. What were they going to do?

"I know you're there, Kal." She said as she sat up, not bothering to cover herself as she did so.

"How are you feeling?"

"Lousy." Galatea asked as she brushed her long dark hair aside. "How long have I been here?" she asked him.

"Two days." Kal said.

"It feels like it's been longer than that." She said as she stood and let the sheet fall to the floor. As she looked up, she snickered as she noticed Kal drooling over her. "Since I'm a clone of Kimmie, doesn't that make me your cousin to?" she asked him.

"I told you, your DNA has been altered. We're not biologically connected anymore." He said to her with a chuckle and stepped into the bedroom and held her close. "How do you really feel?"

"I'm still upset over what I did. You know I'm telling the truth when I say it's an accident, don't you?" she asked him.

"Of course I do." He said to her as he continued to hold her. He gently stroked her back as he could feel her breath being caught in her throat every so often. He wanted to help her more, but he just didn't know how. Or maybe he did.

"If you want to be Superwoman, you can be."

"No I can't. I killed someone."

"By accident, Galatea. But you want to help others, don't you?" he asked her.

"Yes."

"Then – why don't I go out there with you?" he asked her.

"What?"

"Let me fly with you. That way, I can be back up. Or maybe moral support." He said.

"Kal, are you nuts?! You don't know what it's like out there! There are things worse than that damn rapist! Or those drug runners I stopped!"

"Are you sure?"

"You bet your ass I'm sure! I've seen it! And you don't know how to use all of your powers, yet! It – it would be suicide!"

"So the world does need a Superwoman?"

"DAMN RIGHT IT DOES!" she shouted at him.

"Then what are you waiting for?" he asked her.

"Huh?"

"What are you waiting for? I know you still hurt, but you need to fight through it, like you did with your vision. Prove to them it was an accident. Prove to them that you deserve to wear that shield and cape." Kal said to her.

"You really believe in me that much?" she asked him. Part of her almost couldn't believe the passion she was hearing in his voice or seeing in his eyes.

"I know you can do it, Galatea. A part of you _is_ Kim. That means, deep down in you, Superwoman exists. I know it. I believe it." He said to her.

"Why?" was all she could ask him. "Why – have you done all this for me?" she asked him.

"Because – I – I love you." He said to her as her eyes widened and her breath caught her throat.

Kal had just laid his heart out to her, tight then and there. She had gotten to know Kal very well over these past several weeks, and knew that this kid could rarely lie. And right now, he was telling her the truth. She had never thought she would be able to find the things that what she called 'real people' took for granted. She always had to deal with the fact that she was a cheap knock-off of someone else. Now here she stood. She was her own person, a real person. She had a life, and she had someone who loved her.

"_I'm going to regret this."_ She thought to herself. But as she leaned in and kissed Kal-El with as much emotion as she could put into it, she knew she had been lying to herself. She loved him too.

* * *

"I see it, but I just don't believe it." Professor Hamilton said as he and his assistants, Jim and Tim, looked at the cybernetic being in front of them.

Anne had called her son Tim, and told them to meet her at the space center. She was bringing a guest, and they needed to meet in Hamilton's private lab. But when they saw this amalgam of machine and flesh enter the laboratory, they were both surprised and awe struck. Anne was just concerned with only one question at that moment.

"Professor?" she asked Hamilton, finally getting his attention.

"What is it, Mrs. Possible?

"I just said, is there anything you can do to find out if this – person - is Superwoman?" Anne asked him.

"Frankly, I'm not sure. I was the only one that had the equipment that could do medical scans on Superwoman. If she thought a fight took too much out of her, I was the one she saw. In fact, that's how she – never mind." Hamilton said as he mentally kicked himself for almost babbling about one of Superwoman's secrets. Anne knew that Hamilton didn't know about Kim's secret identity, but it was frustrating having to pretend. The cyborg showed signs that it may know of Kim's secret life, but she couldn't take any chances. All this not knowing was driving her insane.

"What does – it - have to do?" Anne asked him.

"The machine itself is a somewhat modified CAT scan, but without the use of magnets in order to gain images and readings." Hamilton said as he powered up the machines in his lab.

"What do I have to do?" the cyborg asked as she followed the Professor, making him jump slightly when he noticed how close she had gotten.

"Um – just l-lay on the gurney. We'll do the rest." He said nervously as he watched the cybernetic organism follow his instructions. As soon as she had positioned herself, the gurney retracted itself into the machine as the sensors inside began to come online.

"Jim, Tim? Are you ready?" Hamilton asked them.

"We're ready Professor." The twins answered in unison.

"Then let's don't waste any more time." Hamilton said as they activated the machine.

A steady hum of machinery began to echo throughout the lab as various lights filled the chamber the cyborg was in. Various images, readings, and data began flooding the monitors as all the sensors within the machine scanned every inch of the life form. Jim, Tim, and Hamilton's eyes were glued to the monitors and drooling over the data like a virgin at a peep show. Anne kept waiting patiently as they kept reading the information in front of them. After the machine had stopped, all three scientists were still keeping their attention glued to the information in front of them.

"Do you have anything yet?" Anne asked as the gurney moved the cyborg out of the machine and powered down.

"Oh, yeah." Jim said, sounding like he was on the verge of an orgasm.

"TWEEBS!" the cyborg shouted, making all of them jump. As Jim and Tim looked at the machine, their eyes were wide open as they kept looking at the cyborg with their jaws hanging slack. "What? It felt like the right thing to say." She said.

"That was still"

"Uber creepy." The twins said as they pulled themselves together.

"Boys, what does the machine say?" she asked them.

"Something very interesting." Professor Hamilton and switched the displays of the cyborg's biological systems onto a large view screen. "The scanners analyzed every part of her biological systems. Every cell and every genome in her body was compared to all the records I had on file from Superwoman's past examinations. Everything it scanned matches the DNA of Superwoman down to a T." Professor Hamilton said as the view screen zoomed in on a DNA chain and compared it to one from a previous exam.

"But what about everything else? The machine pieces?" Anne asked him.

"I have no clue. I've never seen anything like this alloy before in my life." Hamilton said.

"But we have." Jim said as he replaced the data with their own analysis. "Two years ago, Superwoman let us examine the ship that brought her to Earth. We were hoping we could reverse engineer some of it to advance our own chances for deep space travel."

"But we failed miserably. We're still trying to understand some of the components." Tim said with a nervous chuckle. "However, we were able to analyze the metals the ship's hull were composed off. The circuitry and alloys that make up the cyborg match the alloys and neural networks that were in the Kryptonian rocket ship."

"What about my memory loss?" the cyborg asked them.

"Trauma victims usually have memory lose after surviving horrendous accidents. Frankly, I'm not surprised." Jim said.

"After fighting Doomsday, and supposedly dying and a miraculous rebirth; I guess it's only natural." Tim said to his brother.

"What are all of you trying to say?" Anne asked them.

"What we're saying, Mrs. Possible, is that we are looking at a Kryptonian cyborg." Professor Hamilton said. "I'm convinced, without a doubt, that this being in front of us is Superwoman brought back to life!"

* * *

"I have to admit that the earpiece was a good idea." Galatea said as she flew over the skies of Metropolis again. She still wasn't sure of herself, but it helped to know the Kal was practically there to help her along the way.

"_Don't mention it. But we better keep a careful eye out."_

"Why's that?" Galatea asked.

"_If I've been reading this right, there are two others claiming to be Superwoman. And the Justice League issued a statement that says they don't support any of the newcomers to Kim's symbol."_

"I guess I had a hand in that." Galatea said.

"_That was an accident. We just need to prove to everyone you're not some violent savage. But I don't know what one of these other two Superwomen will do if they find you." _

"With everything you put in this solar suit? I'd like to see some super powered bitch take me on." Galatea said before something bashed her in the side of the face so hard that she swore she felt some of her molars coming loose.

Galatea tumbled through the air, not knowing what had happened until she landed in an unused plot of land. The force of her impact caused her to dig a small trench that looked like a giant gold club had sliced through it. As she shook the dirt from her hair and cape, she found herself slightly light headed as she staggered back to her feet. What had just hit her? A flying MAC truck?

"_Galatea?! Galatea, can you hear me?!" _Kal asked, almost on the verge of being frantic.

"I can hear you, Kal." She said as she massaged her sore face.

"_The sensors in the suit weren't making any sense. Did you crash?"_

"That's a definite yes." She said as she looked at the damage she caused.

"_What happened? Did the suit fail on you?"_

"No." Galatea said as she looked up into the sky. "I'll get back to you, Kal. I've got company." She said as the strong, yet feminine, figure landed in front of her. "Let me guess. Judging by the symbol you've got across your tits, I'd say you were Wonder Woman?" Galatea asked her.

"You would be correct, imposter." Diana said as she glared at the woman in front of her.

"Mind telling me why you decided to play swat the fly with my face?" Galatea asked.

"I've come here to demand that you stop impersonating Superwoman at once." Diana growled as she took several steps forward.

"Is that you talking, or do you represent the rest of your little glee club?" Galatea asked, refusing to be intimidated by the Amazon warrior.

"The real Superwoman was a friend of mine. A warrior of honor and courage. And she would be turning over in her grave if she saw that a brainless thug, who wears her shield as an excuse to kill, was disgracing her name."

"I've got to go, Kal. This bitch is asking for an ass kicking." Galatea whispered as she reached for her earpiece.

"_Galatea, what are you doing?! The computers said that voice belongs to Wonder Woman! Don't do,"_

Galatea removed the earpiece and dropped it in the dirt as she looked the Amazon in the eyes. "Listen here, bimbo. That was an accident. I'm not proud of it, but I'm the closest thing this world has to Superwoman. And the day I stop wearing this cape and shield is when you take it off dead body." Galatea said as her eyes narrowed.

"That can be arranged." Diana said as she slammed an uppercut to Galatea's chin that sent her flying backwards into an ark.

Galatea bounced as she hit the ground and tumbled into a wooded area, taking down several trees as she bounced again. Diana glided over to the edge of the woods, trying to see if the imposter was still conscious. But she had been flung so far into the woods that she couldn't really see here. As she tried to look harder, a massive blast of energy struck her in the chest, and sent her flying toward the highway. The cracking of the asphalt echoed for a mile as Diana hit the street and tore off the back of a Sedan as she rolled into the grass and came to a stop. The chest of her armor was still smoking as Diana struggled to her feet and saw the false Superwoman hovering above her with her hands glowing with energy.

"You think you can take me? WELL BRING IT ON, BITCH!" Galatea screamed as the energy began to glow even brighter.

Diana leapt to the air with her fists forward and rammed Galatea in the stomach with full force, sending them both higher into the air. As they climbed higher, Diana belted Galatea across the face with a left and almost cracking her visor. Diana was coming at her with a right cross before Galatea blocked it and bashed her in the face with her right fist and shoving her left into her abdomen and giving her a right uppercut to the chin. Diana began to tumble downward toward the ground momentarily before stopping herself. She felt something warm begin to trickle toward her lips as she controlled her decent. She used her hand to wipe it away. As she saw a red smear on the back of her hand, a hardened scowl began too form on her face.

"You drew first blood. But it'll be the also be the last time." Diana said as she propelled herself as fast as she could toward Galatea like a torpedo.

Galatea easily maneuvered out of the Amazon's way, smirking as began to power her fists again for another attack. The smirk quickly disappeared when a golden rope snagged her around her wait and pinned her arms to her body. As the rope began to glow and tighten, she began to mentally kick herself as she realized what happened. "Oh, shi,"

Disorientation was clouding her mind as she felt herself being pulled higher and higher upward, and then felt herself being pulled around and quickly flying down toward the ground. The impact of Galatea crashing into the Earth caused the ground to tremble before Diana pulled her back into the air, and then brought her crashing back down into the Earth again. Diana firmly grasped her lasso as she began to pull the imposter out from the ground and begun to spin her around. Diana begun spinning slowly at first, but she began increase her speed. Faster and faster they went with each increase in speed kept lifting Galatea higher and higher into the air. Soon, both Diana and Galatea were nothing but a blur as she kept spinning her around like an out-of-control merry-go-round. With one last spin, Diana let the rope go and watched as the fake Superwoman sailing through the air. Diana quickly followed as she watched her opponent fly across several miles and crash into the one of the top floors of a skyscraper; her impact shattering several windows in a circle pattern.

Diana flew into the building where Galatea had crashed and begun searching for her opponent. People were still screaming as they ran away from what had just happened, but Diana paid them no mind. She could see the toppled cubicle walls and shattered desks, along with the computers. But the one thing she couldn't find was the woman that had been claiming to be her late friend. As she continued to look, Diana froze when she noticed something laying on the ground. It was her golden lasso, but the woman she had been fighting wasn't in it. As Diana picked it up, one thing was on her mind. How did she escape?

"You'll have to better than that, sweet cheeks." Galatea said as she stepped out from behind a cubicle and slapped Diana on her ass.

"No, you didn't." Diana growled before being blasted in the face with both of Galatea's gauntlets and shoved through a wall.

"I guess it's a good thing me and Sherri used to play with knots." Galatea said to herself as she saw Wonder Woman stand back up as she tried to get her bearings. With a primal yell, Galatea charged toward Wonder Woman as fast as she could and leapt for her.

Galatea tackled Wonder Woman as hard as she could, sending both of them through a window and falling through the window of the neighboring sky scraper, and then through three floors. Both finally stopped and rolled away from each other to catch their breath as all the office workers looked at the two heroes. Galatea was the first to her feet and saw an opening. As Diana tried to catch her breath, Galatea firmly grasped her by her ebony locks and flung her into a wall face first. Diana hit the wall hard, leaving a hole where her face hit. Galatea quickly shoved her face further into the wall before slamming her fist in the middle of Wonder Woman's back and bashing her across the back of her head. Grabbing her by the hair again, Galatea spun her around and flung her back out the window they had originally come through. Diana tumbled head over heels through the air until she crashed into the pavement below, creating a small crater in the street.

Diana groaned to herself as she forced her eyes opened and popped her neck. As she let her eyes focused, they bolted open as she saw Superwoman coming at her fast with her feet aimed at Diana's head! Diana quickly flipped herself into a crouching handstand, and then jammed her feet into Galatea's chin only seconds before she landed on the pavement. The force of the hit slammed Galatea into the firm side of the building hard enough to crack the windows several floors above her before slowly leaning forward and falling to the ground.

"My turn." Diana said as she ran to where Galatea had fallen and began to slide. As Galatea tried to move, she found Wonder Woman's legs had closed around her neck in a very strong and tight scissor hold. She was starting to have a little trouble breathing as she tried to force the Amazon's thighs apart. "Nothing to say, fraud?" Diana asked her.

"Actually, I do have something to confess." Galatea said.

"Really? What is it?" Diana asked, thinking she had won the fight.

"I always wanted to get in between your legs one day, but not like this." She said.

Diana's face froze in a dazed look of confusion as she processed what she just heard. Did she actually say what she thought she said? With a leering grin, Galatea kicked Wonder Woman in the face once, then twice. With a third swift and harder kick, Wonder Woman let go as she clutched her face and swore she felt something break.

"I will personally send you to Tartarus myself!" Diana screamed as she stood to her feet and her fists balled.

"Not before I shove your head even further up your ass!" Galatea shouted back.

Both were ready to continue their fight and beat each other until they were both black and blue. Both raised their fists as they readied themselves for the next round. That's when a massive explosion echoed across Metropolis as a thick plume of black smoke rose high into the sky.

"That came from the industrial part of town." Galatea said, memorizing Metropolis' layout years ago. Galatea glanced back at Wonder Woman one last time before turning toward the black plum of smoke and flew toward it. Diana gazed at Galatea's retreating form for a few moments before quickly following. Their fight could wait, people were in danger.

* * *

Another explosion rocked what was left of the refinery, causing the rescue workers to fall back. As the fire fighters did their best to extinguish the giant inferno, Wonder Woman emerged from the flames with one injured worker in her arms while another clung their arms around her neck. As she landed, paramedics quickly made their way toward her to treat the injured she had rescued.

"Are there anymore in there?" the fire marshal asked as he ran to Wonder Woman's side.

"I couldn't find anyone else. What about the other woman that came here? Where is she?" Diana asked.

"I don't know. She rescued about three dozen workers before flying off. I don't know if she's still in there or not." The fire marshal said.

"LOOK! UP THERE!" one of the fire fighters shouted and pointed to the sky.

As all looked to the skies above, all of them were awe struck at what they saw. Even Diana herself was amazed at what she was seeing now in front of her. Above them, Galatea had returned. But she wasn't empty handed. In the skies above her, Galatea had begun herding as many clouds as she could with her breath while creating more at the same time. As more and more clouds gathered overhead, thunder began rumbling as lightning traveled through the clouds like a spider. Within moments, sheets of rain began to rain down upon the inferno, aiding in the fire fighter's battle against the blaze. As the flames began to dwindle and weaken, the fire fighters and rescue workers began to cheer. Wonder Woman stood there, completely dumb founded. She had thought this woman was claiming Kim's shield as an excuse to fight. To try and become something like the fake heroes she had heard stories of from the other Amazons. Maybe – she had been wrong about this woman.

Galatea descended tot eh ground and fell to her knees as she began to feel exhausted. She had reached her limits, and the suit needed time to help her recharge. As she tried to catch her breath, she looked up to see Wonder Woman towering above her. It looked like the Amazon was ready to finish what she had started.

"All right. Let's get this over with." Galatea said as she forced herself to her feet.

"I'm sorry." Diana said.

"What?"

"I'm sorry for attacking you. Amazon's are warriors born, but we also know when we act irrationally. Superwoman was my friend, and I didn't want her memory disgraced." Diana said.

"I really didn't mean to kill that man. I was just trying to stop him." Galatea said as they both just looked at each other. "So what happens now?"

"I still don't think you should be called Superwoman." Diana said with a stern face before part of it began to soften. "But I am willing to wait and see if you earn it."

"All I want is a chance." Galatea said.

"Just remember that we're keeping an eye on you." Diana said as she looked to the skies and took off. As Galatea watched her fly off, she began reflecting back on what had just happened. Was this a regular occurrence when you chose to be a hero? AS she looked back to the refinery and saw that the fire fighters had the blaze under control, she decided that maybe it was time for her to go home and rest for a little bit.

* * *

Kim Possible is owned by Disney, Superman and the Justice League are owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros. I don't work with either one and wrote this for fun.


	5. Steel Reign

REIGN

By FAH3

"What?" Sherri asked as she sat up in bed.

"That's what my contact told me." Merci said as she rolled herself out of the large bed.

"But that doesn't make any sense! What did he mean it was stolen?" Sherri asked.

"The mole said that something stormed in and took Doomsday's body from them." Merci said as she slipped her panties and bra back on.

"That can't be right. Cadmus Labs has some of the most advanced weaponry and security devices known to man. Hell, half the tech they have in that lab is what they stole from us! How could someone just storm in there?" Sherri asked as she threw the covers off and walked to her computer, not caring that she was nude. "Do they have any idea where the thief went?"

"None. It was too fast for the radar to track."

"DAMNIT!" Sherri cursed as she looked at the data on her monitor and tried to think. Right know, both body and mind screamed for the taste and effects of alcohol. But she wasn't going to fall into that trap again. "Merci, do we still have connections in NASA and the space center in Middleton?"

"Yeah, we do. Why?" she asked her employer.

"I want them to start using those old spy satellites that are still in the air. Have them start using the more advanced birds too. We should be able to hack the STAR Labs data base and get the readings those bookworms took from Doomsday."

"Sherri, are you saying what I think you're saying?" Merci asked her.

"We need to find Doomsday. That thing is too dangerous to be on Earth or out in the open, and we can't let anyone try and clone him." Sherri said.

"And we can't let Lex get him." Merci said, knowing where her employer's mind was going.

"Especially, Lex. If Luthor gets his hands on that thing's body, who knows what he'll create. Believe me Merci, he wouldn't stop at anything to get what he wants. He'd even sell his own mother if it meant him gaining more power." Sherri said as she turned and kept her gaze fixed to the cityscape. "Just tell me one thing, Merci. How did Cadmus get him? How did they get their claws into that monster?"

"They went over everyone's heads. They found out that STAR Labs couldn't even get x-rays of that thing. So they used their short comings as an excuse for them to seize the body." Merci said.

"Hurry up and get dressed. We need to find that thing." Sherri said.

"I'll do what I can to find him, Miss Gough. But if Lex does have that monster, we're going to need the Justice League as a body guard." Merci said as she finished putting on her uniform.

"Maybe not." Sherri said as an idea came to her.

"What?"

"While you're at it, see what you can do to find this Supergirl that Lane wrote about."

"The Cadmus reject?"

"Yes. Find a way to contact her. Tell her I want to meet with her as soon as possible."

"But why would you want to talk to that brat?" Merci asked her.

"Because the little princess isn't being a hero out of the goodness of her heart, not like the woman she was created from. This one is doing it for all the fame and glory. And if I can use that naivety to my advantage, I could finally have one of those super beings in my pocket."

"But I doubt she would be any use to us if Lex has Doomsday and makes another one." Merci said.

"Who know, Merci. Who knows."

* * *

Ron's eyes narrowed as he kept looking at the data in front of him. When he was a teenager, looking at information like this would have made his head spin. But know, he was examining every detail that he could find. He was having a hard time believing what he was seeing. He understood what everything was saying, he understood how everything it described worked. But just something about all of it didn't feel right to him. Something in it just wasn't right. Even as he heard the elevator stop and open not too far from him, he still kept his eyes glued to the task at hand. Trying to figure out what the hell he was dealing with.

"Ron? Are you okay?" Dick asked as he stepped off the elevator.

"I'm fine, Dick. I'm just doing some research. Were you and Hanna able to find anything?"

"No such luck. Wherever Crane is hiding now, he's doing a good job at covering his tracks." Dick said.

"He doesn't want us to find him until its too late." Ron said to himself as he kept looking at the data on the large monitor. "Is there something you need help with?" Ron asked, feeling Dick look over his shoulder.

"I was just wondering what you're looking at. Is this for real?" Dick asked him.

"It is." Ron said as he handed Dick a newspaper. Dick took the paper and his eyes almost fell out of his head as he saw the large photo and headline that was on the front page.

"Superwoman is back? Cyborg super heroine saves President from assassination attempt, story by Ron Troupe? What the hell is this?" Dick asked his mentor.

"Anne told me about her almost two weeks ago, and I didn't want to believe it. A cyborg found her with gaps in her memory and claimed to be Kim. Anne took her to Professor Hamilton at the Space Center where he and the Tweebs ran several tests. Barbara was able to hack their systems and get me a copy of their results." Ron said to him.

"So what do they say?"

"Every metal and circuit in the cyborg is Kryptonian. Even down to the elements that made it. And every cell in her body is a match to Kim's DNA." Ron said.

"It is? How close?"

"The sample they took from the cyborg is a 99.7 percent match to Kim's DNA." Ron said. He could hear Dick's gasp as Ron continued to examine all the information in front of him. Ron could almost predict the next words out of his young ward's mouth.

"So – it's her? It's really her?"

"I doubt it, seriously." Ron growled as he could almost hear the hope that was in Dick's voice collapse in on itself.

"Why? I mean – if everything says it's her,"

"Facts tell the story, but; they don't tell the whole story, Dick. You should know that by now." Ron said, confusing the young man for a moment. "Not to mention there's one important question you're overlooking. If that's really Kim, then who the hell resurrected her?" Ron asked as he stood and faced Dick.

"Anne said that Kal had been at the fortress since her funeral. Maybe he could have,"

"Kal isn't capable of something like this, Dick. No matter what he finds in the fortress or how much smarter he is than a normal human his age, his IQ is only slightly above average on Krypton. Kim told me that when she had first found him." Ron said as he walked down a few steps and headed to the crime lab. He needed a moment to think.

"But that's the only logical thing I can think of, Ron. If the machinery in the cyborg is Kryptonian, then the fortress had to have had a hand in creating it."

"Dick, the Fortress can't generate elements from Krypton's periodic table. Kim let me study that thing, and it could only simulate them. Every atom and piece of matter in that fortress is from Earth. Hamilton's test results show that the metal is made from refined Kryptonian materials." Ron said.

"Maybe the fortress has a system that can use Kryptonite. Maybe it can filter the radiation out." Dick said as he followed Ron into the crime lab that was built into the cave.

"There would have been some evidence of it left. Every ounce of debris from Krypton was changed when it was destroyed and irradiated what was left." Ron said as he removed a microscope slide from the evidence locker and placed it under the very powerful microscope and begun to have a look.

"Then I'm stumped. Unless someone traveled through time to save her. Or – you're not thinking?"

"J'onn had once told Kim that a Kryptonian scientist came to Earth several years before she did. If he's still here, he may have had the resources to create a Kryptonian cyborg." Ron said as he adjusted the focus knob. "But even that theory doesn't have a leg to stand on." Ron said to himself.

"But that's impossible."

"Sherlock Holmes once said that when you've eliminated all other explanations; whatever remains, no matter how impossible or improbable, must be the answer." Ron said as he examined the piece of evidence closely. "So that means another survivor of Krypton brought Kim back to life, or that thing isn't KP."

Dick was having a hard time dealing with what Ron had just said. It was one thing that a clone of Kim was running around, but the possibility of another one? If he didn't stop thinking about this, he was going to have a headache so bad that his eyes were going to cross. Maybe he should have gone with Hanna out on patrol. As Dick gently shook his head to get his thinking straight, he quickly decided to change the subject of what they were talking about.

"What are you looking at?" Dick asked him.

"Mud. It was found at the scene of the chemical theft three days ago. It might be a clue as to where Crane is hiding."

"You sure he was the thief?"

"All the chemicals that were stolen are key ingredients that he uses in his fear toxin. And there were gallons of these chemicals taken, which means he's planning something big."

"So have you figured out what the mud is?"

"It's not mud. It's fecal matter. But it's been heavily deluded." Ron said as he looked up. "Crane may be traveling through the sewer system." Ron said out loud.

"How does that help?" Dick asked him.

"If he's traveling through the sewer, it might give us an idea where he's hiding. What do you remember about Dr. Crane, Dick?" Ron asked him.

"He's tall, skinny, loves to scare people." Dick said.

"What else?" Ron asked him, testing his young sidekick.

"I don't know. I think – birds." Dick said as he looked at Ron. "That was in his file. He's afraid of birds."

"He's terrified of them. When I studied his past, I found several recorded incidents through out his life where he scared away any kind of bird he came across. Even when he was working at Arkham."

"Weird twist since he calls himself the Scarecrow." Dick said to himself.

"Keep your mind on what we were talking about, Dick. Remember what you just said. Especially the part about his need to scare people. That's like a drug to him. Not to mention, he will want to be in a place where he can easily hide, and still be able to make his fear toxin." Ron said to him.

"Then he's going to need a lab." Dick said.

"With sewer access. And with the amount of chemicals that were stolen, it has to be close by. I imagine that even with several hired hands, those chemicals would be pretty heavy to carry for even a short distance. And he wouldn't want to risk spilling any of it." Ron said as he thought to himself. "And I think I may know where he's hiding." Ron said as he quickly left the crime lab and went back to the large computer. Within seconds, the data of the cyborg was transferred to a smaller screen to the side as a map of Gotham City occupied the main screen. After typing in the data, the map targeted and zoomed in on the industrial sector with several points targeted.

"A refinery?" Dick asked him.

"Certain refineries have labs built in them. It depends on what kind of chemical it was built for. And if I can just – THERE!" Ron said as a strange grid was placed over the map of the industrial sector. Highlighted in red was an old refinery that had closed around the time he and Kim were high school freshmen. "That one right there. That has to be it." Ron said.

"How can you be sure?"

"It's the one place that has the shortest distance to the lab he broke into. And most of those refinery locations look like something that not even the Ghost Hunters would even try to explore." Ron said.

"But I don't think the main sewer system runs through there." Dick said.

"It doesn't have to. Gotham is filled with several older sewer systems that the city either built around or forgot about. To save time and money, the city actually connected parts of the older system with the current ones that are in use. It's almost like a giant labyrinth down there. And that's why we compare blueprints of the old sewer systems with the current one." Ron said as the strange grid was combined with another, and a path was soon highlighted. "I was right. A branch of Gotham's original sewer system joins the current one. It makes a one way connection to the refinery and to the lab that was robbed." Ron said.

"But how would he know about it?" Dick asked.

"When the Asylum had remodel for some of the more dangerous criminals, Crane oversaw some of Arkham Asylum's renovations when he was still a doctor. He would have had to look at some of the old city schematics to make sure that the workers didn't destroy something important."

"Which means that he would have had access to some of Gotham's original blue prints. Like the sewer systems." Dick said as he and Ron headed to their own separate uniform vaults. "Should we let Hanna in on this?" Dick asked him.

"Once we hit the road. Right now, she's doing a patrol." Ron answered.

"And Barbara?"

"I've already activated her pager. She should be here shortly." Ron said as he emerged from the vault and entered the Tumbler, with Dick following closely behind.

"Out of curiosity, what is it about the cyborg that's got you so suspicious?"

"The results were too perfect." Ron said as he floored the gas.

* * *

Wade could hardly believe what he was looking at, even through it was standing in front of him in its full glory. From head to toe, it was a thing of beauty. It was more refined than the original prototype had been, and some of the more bulky power supplies and circuitry had been reduced in size, but still packed quite a punch. There were two things Wade was slightly uncomfortable with about it. On was the large gauntlet that sat on the right forearm. It was able to shoot a limited supply of spikes, but not for lethal use. Wade had to practice with that thing constantly since he was going to be the one in the suit, and he though he had finally gotten the hang of it. He just hoped he wasn't in a rush to aim the thing. But it would be able to stop someone in their tracks, or destroy one of the cannons out there. Which was the main reason for the gauntlet's creation. The suit would increase his strength seven fold, but he just couldn't try and grab a gun to destroy it. So with the gauntlet, it would destroy the housing and the inner working to prevent it from firing.

The other thing Wade wasn't a fan of was the helmet. Actually, it was the design. For now, it was a sleek designed helmet with a tinted HUD display that would prevent the face from being seen whenever the suit was activated or powered down. Wade had originally come up with a full motion mask that would act like a normal face, but it would have a built in voice changer/amplifier along with a HUD display in the eyes. But Dr. Irons was as eager as he was to get the prototype up and running, and they had to meet halfway. At the moment, they were running a final diagnostic on the suit itself. After that, it would be time for a field test. Of course, Wade would get so nervous at hearing that word that he would begin to tremble slightly. It wasn't because of the excitement, but because he would be out there in the suit itself.

The last time he had actually and gone out and done what he called "field work" was when Kim and Ron were still in high school. After Kim discovered she was from another planet, she took down her website and stopped saving the world. Or at least, as often as she used to. Every so often, something would come up and she would try and save the day without revealing she had superhuman abilities. One of those times was when Drakken tried to change the weather while using a muffin franchise to support and front it. Since Ron almost had a nervous breakdown, Wade had to step in. If it wasn't for Ron finally getting his common sense back, and a little of Kim's abilities, they would have been gourmet treats with a side of coffee. Wade used that incident to try and talk himself out of doing more field work ever since then. But with Kim dying, the feeling just wouldn't go away anymore.

"I've got the last piece finished." Dr Irons said from the other end of the lab, causing Wade to turn with confusion.

"Last piece? I thought the suit was already finished." Wade said as Irons begun to walk with the crutches, with a large piece of metal in his hands.

"This is something important." Irons said with a smile as he finally made it to one of the work benches and placed the newly crafted item down. "Did your mom ever tell you stories when you were a kid?"

"A couple." Wade said as he walked over to the table, confused on where that question came from.

"My grandfather was a master at telling me bedtime stories. My favorite was the one about John Henry."

"I remember that one. He went up against a steel driving machine and won. Unfortunately, it also killed him." Wade said.

"I know. But my granddaddy always told me that story as his way0 of telling me that there was nothing I couldn't do if I just put my mind to it. Well, we're up against a deadlier kind of machine, Mr. Load. And it's one I created. So I want to make sure we do this right." Dr. Irons said as Wade joined him and looked at the piece he had just fabricated. Wade wasn't sure to make of it at first as he gazed at it.

"Are you sure bout this?" Wade asked him.

"She was your friend, Dr. Load. And I still owe her for saving my life. I thought this might be a way of paying our respects to her." Irons said. "Well?"

"Let's get the sucker mounted." Wade said with a small smile as he took the new addition to the armor so he could attach it.

* * *

"Are you sure this is the place man?" the large man asked as he and his shorter companion tried to stay inside the shadows as the moved along the side of the building.

"Would you chill, Mucus? This is where that Shark bitch lives. I saw her coming in here earlier today." The small man said as he removed a piece of cloth from his pocket and a lighter. "You bring the booze?"

"Yeah, I got it." The large man said as he removed a large bottle of vodka from his inner coat pocket and handed it to the smaller man. "Hurry up with that, Dutch. I don't want the damn cops seeing us."

"Would you shut up already?" the smaller man said as he removed the cap and shoved the cloth into the bottle until it was dipping into the alcohol. He held the bottle in one hand as he reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a cheap little lighter and lit the cloth. "In one second, that Shark is going to be extra crispy." Dutch said as he stepped back and flung the bottle through the basement. As the two ran away as fast as they could, the bottle shattered under and against the old oil reservoir. Within moments, then building exploded in massive plumes of fire and smoke.

* * *

The diagnostics were almost finished as the lab began to shudder almost violently. Both Wade and Irons looked at each other for a moment before Wade scrambled to one of the computers and accessed the sensors to the lab.

"Please tell me that didn't come form us." Dr. Irons said.

"It didn't. But all the perimeter sensors are going crazy." Wade said as he tried to call up the data. "Oh Christ. The tenements next door just went up like a bottle rocket!" Wade said as he looked at the readings.

"Oh God. Rosie!" Irons said.

"Who?"

"She a fortune teller next door. She and a dozen other families live there!" Dr. Irons said. After being in the lab for so long, John had gotten to know some of the people when he went out on a few errands. Rosie had become a good friend, and the idea of her getting hurt was beginning to make his stomach feel like it had turned into a lead weight.

"Shut the diagnostics off." Wade said as he rushed to the armor.

"What?"

"Shut them off! This thing is fixing to get a test drive." Wade said as he started to open the suit. He also thanked God he lost all that weight over the years.

* * *

The smoke was so thick, she could barley see anything in front of her. It burned as it entered her lungs and her body began to almost spasm with every cough. She was trying to expel it as she stayed low to the floor. There wasn't that much fresh air as she tried to crawl to the door. Her eyes were burning as her eyes watered. She had just finished with her last customer and put on a pot of tea when everything exploded. She could see the smoke and feel the heat of the flames that were consuming the building, but she couldn't see anything! She hoped the hall was clear. If she didn't get out of there soon, she was going to pass out. Who would do this? She had been trying to contact Superwoman for several of her customers, hoping she could reach her on the other side. But instead, she only found hints that she may be alive. She wished Superwoman was here now. Where was a hero when you needed them?

"Is there anyone here?" she heard a loud voice call out. It was coming from outside her apartment, in the hallway! She had to let them now she was here, but she could barley talk. She had to try though.

"I-in here." She squeaked before she started to hack and cough again. She tried to take in a clean breath of fresh air before the tried to shout again. "IN HERE!" she shouted as loud as she could, but didn't know if it was loud enough. She was almost to the door, but she was having a hard time staying awake.

"GET BACK FROM THE DOOR!" the loud voice shouted. She looked up as she heard something hit it. Something hard. She tried to pull herself up a little before the door was completely destroyed. She then saw a large, tall, and very broad figure enter with a red cape hanging from its shoulders. The other two things she noticed right off the bat was that his face wasn't visible. It was a smooth helmet that showed no features at all. The other was the large pentagonal S shield that was on its chest. **"The Man of Steel is coming through!"**

* * *

The old mustang belched out a cloud of exhaust as the small driver inside pulled to a stop. The building they had been at earlier was now completely in flames with not much left standing. Several people were standing along the streets as the firefighters did their best to extinguish the flames and reporters were interviewing the people that were wrapped in blankets. Several others were near ambulances with oxygen masks on their face as paramedics did their best to treat them for smoke inhalation. But both the small driver and his passenger began to scowl in anger as they saw the gathered crowd.

"I don't believe it, Dutch! The damn Shark is still alive!"

"Then what are you waiting for, Mucus? You got a Toast Master. Waste the bastard!" the small driver said to the large man.

"Right." Mucus said as he reached into the backseat and pulled the large cannon into his lap. "What about everyone else, Dutch?"

"Does it look like I care? Waste the fool!"

Mucus leaned out the window with the large weapon mounted like it was a rifle. Mucus turned off the safety and began to smile as he had the member of the rival gang now lined up in his sights. As he began to squeeze the trigger, the gun was struck by something so fast and hard that it almost sent Mucus sprawling to the pavement. As Mucus looked up to see what happened, his eyes widened as his heart almost stopped beating as he gaze on the large metal man before him that was holding a very large and heavy looking sledge hammer.

"We need to talk." The man said in a voice that almost sounded like the wrath of God himself.

"LET'S GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE, MAN!" Mucus screamed as Dutch slammed his foot onto the gas pedal as hard as he could.

Acting quickly, the Man of Steel grasped onto the car as tightly as he could, letting the hammer drop as he was dragged away. The strength of the suit allowed the Man of Steel to latch tightly onto the roof of the car, punching his fingers through the steel and holding on tight. The large boots of the suit were kicking up sparks as they made contact with the asphalt beneath them as the car's speed kept increasing. Balling his right fist tightly, the armored man punched through the passenger side door and ripped it free from the rest of the car and let it drop and bounce away.

"HE"S STILL COMING, DUTCH!" Mucus screamed as he saw the armored man look into the car, seeing his reflection in the faceplate of the armored man.

"You've got the damn gun, you idiot! Use it!"

"Right! Fixing to chalk up another one to the Toast Master." Mucus said as he raised the gun.

"I don't think so." The Man of Steel said as his free hand grabbed the barrel of the cannon. With one firm and swift twist, the barrel bent and broke with a loud crunch as his grip began to crush the barrel itself.

"HE'S BREAKING THE DAMN GUN! PEEL HIM OFF!"

"You got it, bro! Just like a banana!" Dutch said as he jerked the wheel of the car to the left, causing the car to hop into the sidewalk and push the Man of Steel into the wall of the buildings they were passing. The cape that was on his back was shredded as sparks flew as the alloys were being forced along the various bricks and windows of several store fronts.

The HUD display in the helmet was beginning to light up like a Christmas tree as the suit's sensors were going nuts. Wade knew that the suit may not last long, and he couldn't let these two get away. He had dropped his hammer back at the burning building, and he couldn't use the rockets in the boots. If he did, he might make the car catch on fire or ignite the gas tank. And the last thing he needed was for anyone to get hurt or cause any unnecessary destruction. Wade almost couldn't stand the vibrations that were going through the suit as Dutch kept trying to shove him into the wall even harder. Trying to use the targeting system in the helmet, Wade balled his fist and aimed his free arm as best he could. Hoping that the targeting system was working right, Wade fired three of the large spikes from his large gauntlet and saw them tear through the dash board and into the engine. Immediately, strange grinding noises could be heard as warning lights came one. White smoke began coming out of the AC vents and from under the hood as the grinding noises became worse and the car began to loose speed. Terrified at not knowing what was wrong with the car, Dutch began to swerve as he saw that the Man of Steel was still hanging on and looked to be glaring right at both of them.

Using the dying car as a distraction, Wade grabbed the front Mucus' shirt and jerked down hard. Mucus went flying downward and struck his head on the dash board, knocking him out cold as Dutch kept trying to make the car speed up again. The car still was going pretty fast and knew he had to stop it if he wanted to get any information out of the driver. Holding onto the car tightly and trying to position his feet forward, Wade fired his rocket boots and almost sent the car spinning in a circle. However, it gave the result Wade had been hoping for as the car screeched to a stop and almost tipped over. Dutch wasted no time in throwing open the driver's side door and began running as fast as he could. Even though his legs were still wobbly from the adrenalin rush of what just happened, Wade stood to his feet and aimed the large gauntlet on his arm again.

"DUTCH!" he shouted as he fired two large spikes. With an echoing clang, the spikes hooked Dutch by the cuff of his left pants leg and sent him falling onto the dirty street. Dutch tried to free his leg, but it felt more like it was wedged in between the spikes instead of them nailing him to the ground. He could hear the footsteps of the armored man coming toward him like it was the sound of a large tank coming towards him. As he looked up, he almost felt like crying as he saw the large figure standing over him. And that was when he was finally able to see the large shield that was sitting on his chest.

"What the hell?" Dutch squeaked as he saw it glowing in the light of the street lamps.

"We need to talk." The Man of Steel said as he grasped Dutch firmly by the arm, and jerked him up with enough force to rip the cuff of his pants away. "Where did you get the canon?" the armored figure asked him.

"I-I ain't no squealer." Dutch said and began to hyperventilate as the armored man raised the large gauntlet to the side of Dutch's head.

"I'm not going to ask again, and I want the right answer." The armored man said as Dutch heard another spike load itself into the chamber of the gauntlet.

"I GOT IT FROM THE WHITE RABBIT! SHE'S THE ONE SELLING THEM!" Dutch screamed as loud as he could.

"Nice fairy tale, but I'm not buying it." The Man of Steel said.

"No, man! It's true! It's the bunny! She's,"

Dutch never finished his sentence as the back of his head exploded in a burst of bone, blood, and brain which caused the armored man to jump slightly. He quickly spun behind him and saw Mucus was awaked and leaning against the car as a gash in his forehead allowed blood to flow down his face.

"The Rabbit doesn't like pigeons." He said as he aimed the gun at the Man of Steel and started pulling the trigger.

Each shot bounced off of the armored suit harmlessly as he dropped Dutch's lifeless body and stomped his way toward the thug. Mucus kept pulling the trigger faster and faster but saw that it had no effect on the large man. As the Man of Steel now stood over him, Mucus began to shake as they had an unwinnable staring contest.

"I-I ain't goin back to prison, man." Mucus said as he quickly jammed the barrel of the gun into his mouth and pulled the trigger.

Wade quickly turned away as the shot rang out and Mucus collapsed into a heap on the ground. Wade couldn't help but half growl and half groan to himself at what had happened. How could he have let this happen?

"_Wade, are you there?"_ Irons asked him.

"Did the cameras get everything?" he asked him.

"_I'm afraid so. Come back to the lab, and don't forget that hammer you dropped. I'm not done with t yet."_ Irons said to him.

"I'm on my way. I think we can safely say that our field test was a failure." Wade said as he turned and activated the rocket boots.

"_The systems were working fine."_

"You know what I mean."

"_Yeah. I do know what you mean." _Irons said to him, knowing to well how Wade was feeling. Several people in the building were still injured, but they didn't want the gang bangers to die. It was safe to say, their mission to get rid of the weapons was going to be harder than they had thought.

"Do you think he was telling the truth about this White Rabbit?" Wade asked, trying to get their minds off of what had happened.

"_Yeah, he was. White Rabbit was the name I gave Angora when we were a couple."_ Irons said in a defeated tone. Finding out that the woman he had once loved more than anything was the one giving these deadly weapons to local street gangs made Irons feel like the world and his heart had just collapsed on top of him. Not only was it going to be hard for him emotionally to go up against Angora, but he knew how smart she was. They weren't just trying to clean up the streets of Metropolis, they were in a war for the lives of its youth.

* * *

They were now deep within the bowels of the refinery, hiding in the shadows and maintaining radio silence. Batgirl and Robin were taking their places as Batman was finally moving into a better position. They could hear voices echoing through the complex as they had gotten nearer to their source. Judging from the volume of the voices, it was an argument. And Batman could hear that one of the voices had a certain tone of voice. They way one was speaking and using certain words confirmed his suspicions. Dr. Crane was here. That meant Batgirl and Robin had to be extra careful. Only a brief whiff of the toxin may cause a delayed reaction or cause any of them to suffer a massive fear induced panic attack.

Soon, Batman was directly over them and could see what was happening. One man was on the floor, shaking and trying to cover himself as he was sweating. It was obvious that the shivering man had been exposed to the fear toxin and was now suffering its effects. Two other men were arguing with Dr. Crane, as he stood before them in his full costume. He was wearing wrinkled and tattered dark green shirt and brown slacks, with several places where large rips had messily sewn closed. He wore a wore a very worn trench coat with several rips and tears in it, with black gloves on his hands that also had ripped burlap covering them. He was wearing a hangman's noose around his neck like it was a neck tie, and also keeping the burlap scarecrow mask on his face as he glared at the two men in front of him.

"What the hell are you trying pull here? You said we were working on something that would pay off!"

"It will pay off. But it's not my fault if your friend here is nothing more than an idiot clutz." Crane said as he kicked the man on the ground.

"I don't like this at all, man. Just what the hell have you been making?"

"It's a little surprise for the good people of Gotham City. Something to make them appreciate how much they've taken their pathetic little lives for granted." Crane said as he turned to observe the rest of the containers and make sure that they hadn't been damaged as well.

"You're gonna hold the city ransom? I didn't sign up for this."

"Neither did I. Just give us the money you promised us, and we're outta here."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay and see what the grand finale is going to be?" Crane asked them as he popped his wrists.

"No way." One of them said.

"Then if that's what you want." Crane said as he put his hands into his coat pockets and walked toward the two hired hands.

When he was about a foot in front of them, he quickly removed his hands and grabbed them by their foreheads. Before they could have a chance to fight back, a quick and strong burst of gas shot from his coat sleeves and caused the two men to immediately cough like crazy. When he let the men go, both of the men immediately began to scream in pure terror.

"GET THEM OFF OF ME! GET THEM OFF OF ME! MOMMY, HELP ME!" one screamed as he kept franticly trying to brush something off of his body. He immediately began grabbing parts of his clothing so hard that he was actually tearing the fabric of his shirt and even ripping the leather of his jacket.

"GET ME DOWN! SOMEONE PLEASE, GET ME DOWN! I DON'T WANT TO BE UP HERE!" the other screams as he huddled onto his hands and knees. It looked like he was trying to hand on for dear life as he tried to stay still and in the same spot. Crane simply laughed at the sight he was seeing before turning back to his work and left the three men to live out their worst fears.

"Robin, Batgirl. Do you read me?"

"_We read you loud and clear."_ Batgirl responded.

"Are you in position?"

"_We are. We just saw what scarecrow did to those guys."_

"I'll take care of Crane. Set the charges and get those men out of here. When you're clear, give them the antidote. Got it?"

"_We got it. And be careful d- I mean Batman."_ Batgirl said.

Batman understood the feelings she was having. She was starting to call him dad every so often now, but she had to control it. Especially when they were on patrol. They couldn't risk any of their opponents finding out that they were related. Including him. He had to do this fast and quietly. Crane wouldn't hesitate in spraying him, and he couldn't risk it.

Batman used his grappling gun and quietly secured it around a large pipe that was in front of him before allowing the motors to begin his decent. He was coming in directly behind Crane and kept watching him go about his work. He could see at least ten or fifteen containers that were the size of wine barrels that were equipped with dispersing the chemicals in an arousal form. Just a small amount was enough to almost paralyze someone with fear. With this much, half the city would go insane. Halfway down, Batman cut the wire on his grappler and used his training to allow him to land quietly directly behind the crazed doctor. Batman slowly rose to his full height as he allowed his muscles to tense and readied himself for the impending fight.

"I'm not alone, am I?" Crane asked aloud as he turned and saw the dark scowl on Batman's face. "The Dark Knight. I'm so overjoyed to see you again." Crane said in a sarcastic tone of voice.

"Crane."

"No. Scarecrow." The man said as a speaker came on in the mask, altering his voice into a more menacing tone. "So what shall it be? A few sentences, possibly a pun or two before we fight and you drag me back to Arkham Asylum and save the day?" he asked the Dark Knight, but saw no change in the Batman's gaze. "Or maybe what's left of your mind will finally snap like it almost did with the Joker. I have to admit, that would be an interesting study. But it wasn't too obvious to guess what caused your mind to crack."

"No games, Crane. I'm taking you back to Arkham." Batman growled.

"I think not." Scarecrow said as he grabbed a pipe that was behind him and swung. Batman ducked the first swing and saw the second one coming fast. Batman was able to grab the pipe with one hand, and then firmly grasped Scarecrow by his forearm and twisted. "I was hoping you'd do that." Scarecrow said as he jerked his free arm forward and ejected the spray right into Batman's mouth and possibly up one nostril.

Batman quickly let go as he began to cough uncontrollably as well, falling to his knees as he clutched his chest and tried to control the coughing. As the uncontrollable coughing continued, Scarecrow couldn't help but admire at the sight of Batman helpless and unable to defend himself. Unable to pass up the moment, Scarecrow swiftly kicked the Dark Knight in the face and watched him fall backward and onto his back with sadistic glee. The only kind of joy he felt when he was a kid on Christmas morning.

"I made the toxin stronger, more potent. That way, the victim actually believes their worst fears are coming to life and consuming them. Welcome to my nightmare Batman. Soon, the citizens of this city are going to be torn apart by their own subconscious. And all because I'm just simply bored." Scarecrow said as he turned around, and began to growl in anger. He could see small charges were planted on each of the containers of his new toxin, and they were ticking down with only a few minutes to spare. The damn Bat sacrificed himself for those brat sidekicks of his to plant those charges. Those brats were going to pay dearly for this. Even if he had to take a crowbar to Robin's skull.

"SCARECROW!" a very deep, and very angry, voice said behind him. Slowly, the doctor turned around and couldn't help but let out a gasp that would have been a small scream is he had been exhaling his breath.

"It can't be! You should be living through your worst nightmare!" Scarecrow said as he saw the tall figure looming over him.

"Been there, done that." Batman growled as he slammed a fast punch as hard as he could into Crane's abdomen before belting him across the head as hard as he could. Grabbing him by the shoulders of his coat, Batman threw the Scarecrow against one of the shelves, knocking several items off and sending them crashing as Crane tried his best to stay on his feet.

"It's – impossible." Crane moaned as Batman grabbed him by his jacket collar and threw him against a wall. Crane stuck his arms out in front of him to try and cushion his impact, but the impact caused the sprayers in his coat arms to become damaged and loosen the toxic gas into his own face. Like a man possessed, Crane ripped the broken sprayers off of his arms and onto the floor as he began to hack and cough. He began to clutch his chest as the coughing made his lungs raw and cause him pain, almost like he was coughing up barbed wire. When he looked back at the figure in front of him, his eye went wide with terror.

"Welcome to my nightmare." The Batman growled as he opened his cape, and a massive flock of crows, ravens, buzzards, and brown eagles all began to fly at him with their talons raised and their eyes glowing red.

"**NO! NOOOOOOO! GET AWAY FROM ME! NNNOOOOOOOOO! NNOOOOOOOOOO!"** Crane screamed as he was surrounded by the massive flock of birds. He could feel the wind of their wings flapping and their talons claw through his clothes and tear at his skin. Their cawing and screeching echoed in his ears like a thunder clap as they tried to peck at him. Crane was hallucinating so badly, he hadn't noticed that he had been thrown onto the ground outside the refinery with his men as the labs inside began to explode and destroy the toxins Crane had stolen and created.

"How are the others?" Batman asked Robin and Batgirl.

"We gave them the antidote, but it's taking longer to work."

"Crane made his toxin more powerful. Call Gordon and tell them where to find them." Batman said

"Where are you going?" Batgirl asked him.

"I need to get back to the cave." Batman said as he leapt into the Tumbler and pressed on the accelerator. The entire trip back to the cave, he kept seeing the same image over and over again in his mind. HE kept seeing Kim beaten to a bloody pulp by Doomsday before finally dying in his arms. Each time, she kept saying her final words like she had said them through a bullhorn. The only thing that still kept him sane was the vision he had. The vision he had where he had seen Kim waiting for him in the next life; and then bringing her back with him. Kim was alive and had to be out there. He just had to find her.

* * *

"This is still unbelievable. If I'm reading this right, it shouldn't be too much longer until,"

"KAL!" Galatea shouted as she walked toward the lab.

Kal-El quickly closed the information he had been reading as he turned to face Galatea. She had shed the cape and solar suit for now and was wearing nothing more than a robe. Kal had to try hard to keep the smirk from forming on his face as he enjoyed the fact that Galatea hadn't bothered to close the robe at all.

"Eyes on my face and not my tits, Kal." She said as she raised his head upward with one finger on his chin. That was when he noticed she was still wearing her visor for some reason. He could have sworn he lowered the lights.

"What makes you think I was looking at your breasts?" he asked her as the smirk made itself known anyway. One thing about being with Galatea was that it was starting to loosen him up.

"Later, fly boy. We've got another problem."

"What's wrong?"

"Please tell me you've seen the news." She said to him with a look of disbelief.

"You mean those other two Superwomen?" he asked her. He knew it bothered her that there were others claiming to be his late cousin. The one that got on her nerves was the clone since she had been an imperfect one and this one seems to be completely stable. But what was creepy and almost scary to look at was the cyborg.

"Try three."

"Three?!" Kal asked her in disbelief.

"Yeah. Turn your monitor to one of the Metropolis news channels." Galatea said to him. Within a moment, he had it turned to WGBS as it showed them interviewing a small woman in a head band, round glasses, and strange clothes.

"_I'm a psychic, I know these things. A walk-in spirit is a restless soul who has unfinished business. When another spirit leaves its body and the body is not yet uninhabitable, the restless spirit can enter the vacant body and live again. That's the case of what has happened here with Superwoman." _The woman said to the cameras.

"Say what?" Kal asked.

"I'm not sure what she just said." Galatea said to him.

"_Again, an apartment building exploded earlier in the night. Many of the residents were rescued by an armored man, or possibly a robot, wearing a red cape and the symbol of the late Superwoman. Police discovered that the blaze was caused by two members of a local street gang known as the Bloods. The bodies of the gang members were discovered three blocks from the blaze, both were deceased. It appears that one of the suspect shot his accomplice before turning the gun on himself."_

"An armored man? How can a man try and take Kim's place?" Kal asked himself.

"A confused Transvestite?" Galatea asked him. Kal-El just frowned in confusion as he turned and looked at her.

"What's a transvestite?"

"Um – I'll tell you later. Remind me to let you watch a movie called The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Galatea said to him.

* * *

"God damn Superwoman imposters are making me sick to my ass!" Shego said as she turned of her television and flung the remote against the wall. "What do we know about that incident?" Sherri asked Merci.

"It was a gang retaliation. A few nights ago, the Bloods and the Sharks had a turf war with both sides using Toastmasters. The leader of the Bloods was killed during the fight, and this was their was of getting revenge." Merci said to her.

"What about the two dead gang bangers?"

"A security camera caught what happened. We were able to get the footage before the cops. Whoever this armored man was, he was demanding to know who gave them the ordinance. The smaller one, Dutch, revealed the name of their supplier before the other one blew his brains out. Then he blew his own brains out."

"Damn it to hell. Did they say anything else?" Sherri asked her.

"Nothing. If this new pretender pursues this, it won't be long until he finds a lead." Mercy said.

"Then it's about time we cut the White Rabbit loose. Drop a few hints here and there, enough to let this guy find her. But make sure any signs of Gough Industries are gone. Even if she tells anyone about our business deal, I don't want there to be anything to back up her statement."

"You got it, Sherri. Anything else?"

"There's one thing. See what you can do about getting any information on this new pretender. There's something about him that's familiar."

"But, he was wearing a mask."

"I know. But it's just something that's nagging at me in the back of my mind. Just do what you can to find out anything about him."

"I'll se what I can do. By the way, I was able to contact the Super brat which wasn't as hard as I thought. She should be here later tonight."

"Good. If everything goes as planned, I'll have that squirt eating out of the palm of my hand. Do we still have a cooking staff here?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Just making sure. Whether it be a boy or a girl, the heart to any teen is always food." Sherri said as she picked up her phone and dialed down to the kitchens.

"I know I've asked this before, Sherri. But why are you so interested in this girl? You're not looking for someone to – replace Galatea?" Mercy asked her as she began to fidget a little.

"That's one of the reasons, Mercy. When Galatea disappeared, I lost a very strong advantage. And with this girl in my pocket, I can" That's when Sherri noticed the uneasy look on Mercy's face. She wasn't sure her assistant was looking at her like that before she remembered one of the other reasons she had Galatea around. "It's nothing like that, Mercy. I just need a secret weapon if anyone tries to screw with me. If someone wrongs me, I'm gonna rip the teeth out of their mouth before a rip their dick off through their ass." Sherri said.

As Mercy left, she felt a small shiver going down her spine. Something was wrong with Sherri. Ever since she had told her about Doomsday's body being stolen, she had been on edge. Maybe it had something to do with that alien robot that had actually paralyzed her years ago. She remembered how angry Sherri had been at being helpless. For days, she had vowed never to be that helpless again. And maybe that's what was happening now. Ever since that day, Sherri was a nut about security. There were projects in the works that not even she knew about anymore. Whatever she was planning, it involved that kid. If Mercy had stayed, she would have seen that Sherri didn't dial the kitchen staff. But instead, she dialed a number to a secured line that only she and a few others only knew about.

"_This had better be good, Miss Gough."_

"It is. I'm fixing to talk with the Supergirl, and I have several of the Toastmasters and ready for reverse engineering."

"_Good work, Miss Gough. We'll need a sample of the clone's DNA if you can get it."_

"I can get it after I convince her to sign with,"

"_TONIGHT!"_

"Tonight? Wait a minute, what's changed?"

"_The object our deep space probes detected has altered course. It's now heading toward our solar system. It will be within Pluto's orbit within one month, maybe two."_

"Then you'll get your sample."

"_Are you sure, Miss Gough?"_

"Don't worry, Miss Waller. If these aliens are hostile, they'll learn not to screw with the human race." Sherri said as she hung up the phone and began to turn on her charm. Company was coming.

**Coming Soon in REIGN:**

Chapter Six: Seduction of the Innocent


	6. Doctor's Appointment

REIGN

By FAH3

It wasn't one of the best dresses she had or that she even liked, but she wasn't trying to drive anyone's hormones wild tonight. She was wearing a simple black dress with a small suit jacket that had a very feminine design to it. It had only been a few minutes since she got off the phone with Miss Amanda Waller, but she knew she had to hurry. The super brat was going to be here at any minute. She had to convince this kid to work exclusively with her company and get a DNA sample at the same time. She was actually wishing that this was someone older that she was meeting. If it was, then she could just get the DNA sample in what she thought would have been a much more easier and fun way. But this was a kid. And despite looking like a teenager, this clone was only a couple of weeks old. So she had to put on the face she saved for going out into public and pour on the charm. Some times she wished she were still a super villain. Hold on, what the hell was she saying? She was a powerful CEO of a major cooperation in the world of cooperate business. She still was a super villain.

Shego checked the table and appetizers that were laid out. Since she wasn't trying to get in between anyone's legs, the candles were out. But since this was a teenager, she knew the perfect way to persuade her. Girl or boy, the one way to get to them was through their stomach. And since we were dealing with a clone that had at least half of Kimmie's DNA, some of the dishes Kim used to like may work. If nothing else, at least she had something else to keep the kid distracted so she could convince the teenager that a job with her is a good idea. As she made sure everything was in place and in order, she looked up when she heard something flying close by and getting closer. All the times Kim had used to visit her before they had their falling out, she could recognize the sound of a flying person anywhere. Time to put her happy face on and hope this brat didn't give her a reason to smack her.

As she turned to the balcony as the young woman landed, she let out a small gasp as her eyes grew wide. She could swear she was actually looking at Kim when she had first met her in Middleton all those years ago. Déjà vu was making her head swim as she slip open the door and entered the office/apartment.

"You're Miss Gough, right?" the young girl asked the older woman. Sherri gave herself a good mental slap as she made herself straighten up and put on the chipper face that she loathed so much.

"Yes, I am. I'm so glad you got my invitation." Sherri said as she walked up to the young girl and offered her hand.

"Invitation? Some crazy lady drove off a bridge, screaming for help. When I caught the car and set it down, she told me you wanted to see me. And if I didn't show up, she'd knock me into next Thursday." The young woman said as she shook Sherri's hand.

"Really? I apologize for that. My assistant can be a little – eccentric at times." Sherri said with an apologetic smile. _"Let's see how Merci likes going a month without sex."_ Sherri thought to herself. "My assistant was supposed to give you an invitation. I wanted to offer you a job." She said.

"No offence, but I already have a job. Recognize the S on the chest?" the young woman asked.

"But the last time I checked, being a hero didn't pay that much. Am I right?" Sherri asked her.

"Well – you may have a point." The young woman said sheepishly.

"Why don't we discuss this over dinner? I've already had some food prepared." Sherri said and motioned to the table that had already been set.

"I am a little hungry." Supergirl said as they walked toward the table.

"I'm glad to hear that." Sherri said. "I usually hate to eat alone." Sherri said as she snapped her fingers.

Within moments, a man in his early thirties entered the room with long dark hair that was tied back into a ponytail and his skin had a healthy tan to it. His chest was almost too wide for the white suit he wore, with the obvious muscles that lay underneath almost threatening to tear the fabric. Sherri smirked when she saw that Supergirl was almost drooling as she saw the sight of their waiter for the evening.

"Jean-Luc, could you please bring a bottle of Merlot. Perhaps a '64." Sherri said as they took their seats.

"Sounds great to me." Supergirl said as she kept her eyes glued to the broad, handsome servant.

"And a soda for our young guest." Sherri added.

"Yes, Madame." The man said as he turned and left to get what Sherri had requested. "Superwoman's clone or not, you're still underage kid." She said.

"Uh – I was chest choking." Supergirl said before her face began to blush a deep crimson and she quickly turned to look at Sherri. "I mean I was – just joking!" she said as a nervous smile appeared on her face.

"Don't worry, kid. Why do you think I hired him." Sherri said, relieving some of the embarrassment from the young woman.

"Out of curiosity, why do you want to give me a job?" Supergirl asked her.

"I suppose you know all about the original Superwoman, am I correct?" Sherri asked her.

"Of course I do. Cadmus programmed everything they could about her adventures in my head." Supergirl said.

"Good. You see, Superwoman has saved just about everyone in this city at least once. Me included. I always wanted to find a way to repay her, but she never accepted money or any kind of a reward. She had always said that helping others was reward enough." Sherri said as she began to think about the friendship she once had with the late superhero. Her trip down memory lane was interrupted when the waiter returned with her wine and poured her a glass before opening a frosted can of soda for the young superhero.

"Have you decided what you would like for dinner tonight, Madame?" he asked her.

"I'll have Eggplant Parmesan with a light salad. What would you like?" she asked Supergirl and smirked again as she saw the young girl looking at the waiter's backside. "Supergirl?" she asked which immediately got the young girl's attention.

"That's Superwoman." She said in an annoyed tone of voice.

"I apologize. Would you like anything in particular?" Sherri asked her.

"Well – do you have any Nacos?" she asked which surprised Sherri. Kim may have acted like she wasn't fond of eating Stoppable's creation, but she secretly loved them. Maybe there was more of Kim in this little girl than she thought.

"I think they can whip that up. You have our orders Jean-Luc." She said and sent the waiter along his way. "Where was I?"

"You said you wanted to repay Superwoman, but she wouldn't accept anything."

"Right. Well, and no offence, but you're young and still new to the hero game. And there are a lot of people that are going to try and take advantage of you. I want to make sure that doesn't happen. My company can keep you informed of situations that need your immediate attention, and also let you know about some of the more dangerous individuals out there."

"Wait a minute. You said job offer, but you want to help me?" the young girl asked; obviously confused at what Sherri was proposing.

"Kid, there are a lot of people who feel guilty about not being able to help Superwoman when she died. Me included. With you being her clone, I see this as a way to finally help her. To make up for not helping her when I should have." Sherri said as she saw that her words were starting to have an affect on her. "If you take me up on my offer, I will also provide you an apartment for you to live in and a small allowance. I'll pay for the rent and the utilities, and all you have to do is uphold what your – mother – stood for." Sherri said.

"Mother?" the young woman asked.

"You are her clone. What else should I call her? Your sister?" Sherri asked her.

"I guess it does make sense." The young woman said as Jean-Luc returned with a pushcart with two covered dishes. "But it sounds – I don't know. I never thought about it." The young girl said.

"The choice is yours, of course. But just remember what I'm offering you. A better way for you to help people, a place to live, and money to spend. That's a lot more you'll get than just being Superwoman twenty-four seven." Sherri said as Jean-Luc placed the dishes on the table and removed their covering.

"I don't know. I'm going to have to think about this." The young woman said as Jean-Luc removed the dish covering, and the smell of the freshly prepared Naco filled her nostrils. A small smile appeared on her lips as she saw the hot meal in front of her. Picking up the fork that was beside her plate, she scooped a hefty portion and carefully began to eat it. A very satisfied smile appeared on her face as she swallowed and savored the taste of the Naco. "Can I have these whenever I want?" she asked Sherri.

"I think I can arrange something." Sherri said as she sipped her wine.

When she looked back, she was surprised to see that the Naco that had been there a second ago was now nothing more than a few crumbs and a few specs of nacho cheese on the plate. She quickly glanced at the young woman and saw that she was doing her best to wipe away a few smears of nacho cheese from her mouth as a large belch escaped her lips.

"Excuse me." She said with a bit of a blush and finished wiping away the remnants of her Naco. "I think I'll take you up on that job." The young Superwoman said.

"Excellent. I'll make all the arrangements tomorrow morning." Sherri said with a smile. _"Hook, line, and sinker." _

* * *

Usually, there was at least some amount of satisfaction whenever Ron would label an open case closed. But right now, it didn't give him any comfort at all. His mind was still drifting back to the matter of his best friend and lover, Kim Possible. He was so sure that she was alive. The vision he had when he had died for a moment from the wound the Joker had given him. With her body missing again, it only supported that idea. But it had been several weeks, and there were these four pretenders instead of the real Kim returning. The cyborg he didn't trust. A large memory gap, unexplained origin of Kryptonian components. That thing was hiding something, he could feel it. The young Supergirl wasn't really anything like Kim at all. Kim never helped people to get the attention. In fact, attention was the last thing she had wanted. Even after she went public as Superwoman, she still didn't want the attention.

As he sat there in the dark, he had time to finally think about how he had been acting since he was shot. Dick and Hannah were at a movie, and Wade was still doing his project in Metropolis, and Barbara Gordon was upstairs working on some of her homework. Every so often, she would bring her homework with her so she could work on it when she took a break from working the computers in the Batcave. Ron examined everything he had done from the point of view of the detective he was supposed to be. If this had been anyone else, Ron would be telling Jim to get a padded cell at Arkham ready. He had been acting so ridiculous and idiotic, he was amazed he hadn't gotten himself shot again. He didn't want to admit it, even though everything inside of him was screaming not to even think it. Kim was dead, and she wasn't coming back. Instead of looking for a living Kim Possible walking around, he should be looking for some sick grave robber.

Ron leaned his head back and tried to think. Who would have the means to take Kim's body without a trace? Who could bypass all that? Sherri Gough? It was her alarm system after all. But why? He knew Sherri was really Shego, and she and Kim were friends once. Would she take Kim's body to remember their friendship? Or as a trophy like Lex Luthor would? No, not even she was that demented. The thief Lophole? What was he thinking? Loophole was a joke! Loophole was a half-ass inventor who tried to create a device that would allow him to walk through walls. On the first test run of his invention, he tried to rob a bank in Gotham City. And as he walked out, the device shorted out and left him half in and out of a thick wall of concrete. What about Mirror Master? No, it wasn't him. He was brilliant, but stuck to snatch and grab thefts.

The more Ron thought, the more worn out he felt. He hadn't gotten a lot of rest since he started trying to track down the Scarecrow. With Crane back in Arkham, maybe he could actually get a moment to try and rest. A quick nap might help him think clearly. Ron leaned his head against the head rest of his chair and began to take deeps breaths as he let his body relax. He could feel his eyelids become weights as he felt sleep begin to wash over him. Rest was all he needed. Just a little bit of rest.

"Ron?" someone asked him, making him begin to open his eyes. Hanna and Dick weren't supposed to be back for at least another hour or so. "Ron?" someone asked him again.

Ron opened his eyes and couldn't believe what he saw. Kim was standing in front of him with a concerned look on her face. He couldn't believe it. It was really her, even down to the clothes she was wearing.

"KP? Am I dreaming again?" he asked her.

"I think so." She told him.

"Then how do I know if you're Kim, and not some part of my head?" he asked as he stood his feet to talk to her. That was when Kim wrapped her arms around his neck and softly grasped his lips with her own. It wasn't rushed or hard, but it was soft and gentle that still conveyed their love and passion for each other. It was their kiss, and he could feel every part of it.

"It is you." Ron whispered as their kiss broke and he held her tight. It was just like all the other times he had held her in his arms. He could feel the warmth of her skin, the smell of her hair, and even feel her warm breath against his shoulder. This couldn't be a dream, it was just too real.

"Kim, where are you? No one knows what happened to you." Ron said.

"I wish I knew, Ron. Every time I try to wake up, it feels like something is forcing me back to sleep." She said to him with a frustrated look on her face that made Ron hole her closer to him. "But I know I'm alive. I have to be."

"Is there anything you can tell me? Anything you've noticed?" he asked her, pulling each other slightly apart.

"Let me think." Kim said and concentrated. She was trying to remember even the tinniest thing that may be helpful. It was just so aggravating to her. "Every time I get close to waking up, it almost feels like I'm floating in something. Maybe water or – something. And I can hear voices. One sounds familiar, but I don't know who the other one is. I don't know what they're saying because it's muffled. Ron, I'm going crazy! I need to wake up!" she said to him.

"It'll be okay, Kim. I'll find you." He said to her.

"I hope you hurry, Ron. Because my gut is telling me that something bad is about to happen." She said to him.

"I will find you." Ron said to her as they began to lean into each other for another kiss.

"Ron?"

"Yeah?"

"You have to wake up."

"I don't want to."

"You have to. I'll be waiting." She whispered to him before softly placing a kiss on his cheek. "Wake up, Ron."

* * *

"Ron, wake up." Dick said as he shook his mentor awake.

Ron's eyes opened as he took a deep breath and tried to remember where he was. He was in the chair in front of the computer inside the cave. He looked to his side and saw Dick and Hanna were standing there, and he recognized the look in both of their eyes. They were worried about him again. They had been ever since he told them about the visions he had been having of Kim. As he saw the worried expression in the face of the boy he had been raising as his own and in the face of his own daughter, he came to a decision that he should have made a long time ago.

"I need to go." He said in his Bat voice as he stood and walked to the vault that housed his various uniforms.

"Go? Go where?" Hanna asked him.

"I need to talk to someone." Ron said as he entered the vault.

"Wait a minute. It hasn't been that long since we caught Crane, and you want to go back out there?" Dick asked him.

"This is something I have to do, Dick." Ron said from inside the vault.

"Can you at least tell us where you're going?" Hanna asked him.

"No." Ron said as he emerged as Batman.

"Then when are you coming back?" Dick asked him as he leapt into the tumbler and activated it.

"When I have answers." He said as the canopy closed, and the massive assault vehicle sped away from them and through the secret exit.

"Should we follow him?" Hanna asked.

"No. Let's get Barbara to activate the tracer on the Tumbler." Dick said as they made their way to the large staircase that lead to the library inside the mansion. As the secret door opened, they were surprised to see Barbara was sitting in front of the door and waiting for them.

"The comm system was on. I heard everything." She said to them.

"Then let's track him. If Ron is doing something stupid,"

"I already tried, Dick. He's disabled the tracker on the Tumbler. I don't know where he's going."

**

* * *

**

Metropolis

Night had fallen over Centennial Park as a massive crowd in blue robes had gathered around the base of the statue of Superwoman that was also her supposed tomb. On top of the base of the statue, standing directly in between the statue's legs was a man in his late forties as he stood before a pulpit that wad been crafted into the shape of a large pentagonal S shield. The left side of his face had been painted gray with the hair on the left side of his head shaved away. Parts of his painted face was also decorated to look like it was a machine as he faced the large crowd before him. Behind him, two large posters stood. The poster to his right was a large photo of the cyborg Superwoman that had been directly taken from the photo of her with the president when she stopped an assassination attempt. The poster to his left was a picture of the Superwoman with the visor with a large red circle sprayed around her head and a diagonal lane crossing through it. The crowd before him were chanting the name Superwoman over and over again as he looked at the gathered masses. As he raised his hands in the air, the crowd became quiet.

"Brothers and sisters, fellow true believers! Look upon the face of our savior not with fear!" he said as he pointed to the poster of the cyborg Superwoman. "Even though she bears the scars of her battle with the monster Doomsday, it is through her deeds that we know the truth. Through righteous deeds and her mercy, she has proven herself to be the one and true Superwoman!" the man shouted as the rest of the crowd cheered him on. The crowd before him had decorated themselves to look exactly like him. Half of their heads were shaved, with half of their faces decorated and painted to look as if it were a machine half. Others were wearing cheap Halloween masks that looked like machines, or old terminator masks in order to make the illusion complete as they all wore blue robes with the pentagonal S shield on the chest.

"Be warned my people, do not be fooled by the smooth and unblemished face of this visored imposter. For I say onto you that she is a fraud!" he shouted as he pointed to the poster of Galatea. "She has ruthlessly tortured and wantonly murdered! But because she attacked those that were of the criminal element, some decided to turn a blind eye to her actions. But do not be deceived, true believers! She must be sent back to the hell she came from! SHE MUST BE DESTROYED!" the man screamed.

"DESTROY THE VISORED ONE! DESTROY HER! DESTROY THE VISORED ONE! DESTROY HER!" the crowd began to chant over and over again. They were so engrossed in their chant, they did not see the crowd of Superwoman cultist that had marched behind them. The difference between them and the cultist that had just arrived was that the new arrivals were all wearing yellow visors.

"YOU FOOLS!" the leader of the visored cultists shouted through a bullhorn and drew the attention of the chanters. "WHAT YOU WORSHIP IS LESS THAN HUMAN! LESS THAN MACHINE! WHAT YOU WORSHIP IS A GRAVEN IMAGE COME TO AN UNHOLY LIFE!" he shouted.

"Why don't you worship a golden calf and make a clean job of it?" one of the visored cultist shouted at the opposing cultists.

"You – dare – mock our lord?" one of the cyborg worshipers asked in shocked at what he had heard as others began to gather around him and looked very, very angry. "There is only one answer to such blasphemy! DRIVE THE DEVIL WORSHIPERS OUT!" the cultist shouted as the others began to join him and the others.

"IT IS YOU WHO HAS LOST YOUR SOULS TO THE DEVIL! WE SHALL BE HEARD! WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED!" one of the visored cultists shouted before he was bashed in the face with a sign that had Superwoman's symbol painted on it. Immediately, the two factions began fighting one another in a brutal fist fight. Some were using their signs as weapons while the rest were using their fists to drive the others away.

As the cultist fought amongst each other, several in both factions shed their robes and signs, revealing the police uniforms of the Metropolis Special Crimes Unit. The officers that had hidden among the crowds, and officers that emerged from the surrounding brush, immediately began running into the massive brawl and immediately began prying the cultists from each other. All of them were angry at the fact that not only that one faction accusing the other of worshiping a false messiah, but those non-believers would dare pose as their fellow believers. They weren't just attacking other extremists cult members now, they were also unleashing their rage at the police officers that were trying to break up the fight. Despite wearing riot gear, the cops could actually feel some of the punches and hits the Superwoman cultists were throwing at them. The visor of several riot helmets cracked as the cultist decided to use their signs as clubs in an effort to try and drive them away. But slowly, the SCU were making a dent in the separating the crowds. After a long, and very pain filled half hour, they were able to keep the two factions apart. But both were still trying to break free of the police barricades so they could attack their rivals, and the officers didn't know how much longer they could hold them back.

"THIS IS INSPECTOR SAWYER OF THE SPECIAL CRIMES UNIT!" Maggie Sawyer said into a bull horn as she and Dan Turpin stepped in between the two factions to try and resolve their dispute. "THIS IS HOLLOWED GROUND, AND NO PLACE FOR A TURF WAR! I DON'T CARE WHO YOU PUT YOUR FAITH IN, BUT ALL OF YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES!" Sawyer shouted so hard that her face was actually turning into a dark shade of deep purple. "I KNEW SUPERWOMAN! AND IF SHE WERE HERE RIGHT NOW, SHE WOULD TEAR OFF HER SYMBOL AND BURN IT IN DISGRACE BECAUSE OF WHAT ALL OF YOU ARE DOING! EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU DOESN'T DESERVE TO WEAR HER SHIELD AT ALL! IF YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING NOBLE WITH YOUR LIVES, THEN GO HOME AND CALM DOWN. AND TRY AND DO SOMETHING DECENT WITH YOUR LIVES!" Sawyer screamed as she through the bullhorn to the ground and shattering it.

For several minutes, nobody did anything. Not the police, and not the cultists. Everyone that was still wearing a Superman robe looked down as they realized that Inspector Sawyer was telling the truth. That had shamed the name of Superwoman with what they had just done. All of them. Even the leaders of both factions. Slowly, the cultists dropped their signs and began to disperse. Within twenty minutes, all the Superwoman cultists had left the park, leaving only the police officers to assess their bruises and pick up the pieces. As the SCU began to make their way back to their own vehicles, Dan Turpin just let out a slow whistle.

"Damn, Maggie. You've got enough lung power to make Pavarotti shut up." He said with a small chuckle.

"I guess." Maggie said as she placed her hands inside her jeans pockets and began to make her way ack to the car she and Dan drove up in.

"What's with the long face? We were able to break them up with only a few bloody noses."

"This time, Dan. What about next time? Or the time after that?" Maggie asked and let out a deep sigh. "This is getting worse, Dan. Each day, these nut cases keep getting more violent. If we can't find a way to contain this soon, we're going to have a Holy war on our hands." Maggie said to him.

"I'm glad Superwoman ain't alive to see this mess."

"Are you sure?"

"Maggie, don't tell me you're buying this crap." Dan said to her.

"I don't know. The last time someone dies and came back to life, most of the world decided he was the messiah. With the mess these four Superwomen are creating, a lot of people are thinking she's the second coming of Christ."

"I refuse to believe that." Dan said as he rubbed the medallion of the Star of David that was under his shirt.

"You know that guy that was on the statue? The leader of the cyborg cultists? I did a background check on him. He was a highly respected Catholic priest. He was fixing to be made a Bishop, and was known for avoiding violence no matter what. Now look at him, Dan. He's preaching that the Cyborg cultists should rally together and kill the Superwoman with the sunglasses." She said to them as she tried to swallow the lump in her throat. "To tell you the truth, I really hope Superwoman is still dead. I don't know what I would think if she did come back." Maggie said as she walked off to their car.

As Turpin let out a sigh of his own, he glanced up at one of the SCU officers that passed him. As he saw the officer remove his helmet, he saw the officer grasp a medallion that was around his neck and kiss it. At first, he thought it was a small crucifix at first, like several officers wore. But his eyes widened slightly when he saw that the medallion was actually a silver pendant of Superwoman's shield. "I hope she's dead too." Dan said and soon followed her.

* * *

The engine of the Tumbler roared like an angry dragon in hate as it roared through the deserted road. Only very few knew of this road and where it would lead, and even fewer were allowed to know what would await them. It was late at night, and the covering of the massive old trees didn't help visibility much at all. He had the flood lights on almost at full power to help him see along with the radar to make sure he didn't run into a tree or run over an animal. He could hear the leather in the gloves stretch as he gripped the wheel even tighter. His face was just about frozen in a frown as he kept his concentration on the path in front of him. Out of all the people he had known in his life, and everyone he had met since he created his costumed persona, this was the only person that could help him decide if he was crazy or sane once and for all. Of course, the fact that he dressed as a giant bat didn't help the question of his sanity at all. When he saw that the radar systems were starting to go static and went out, he knew he had arrived at his destination.

He brought the Tumbler to a stop and killed the engine just as he broke through the last few trees and overgrowth, and found himself in a large, lush, green meadow that seemed to be constantly in the spring season. In the center of the meadow stood a large obelisk with several ancient symbols from every culture around the world carved into it. The obelisk looked like it had just been carved and placed in the meadow only hours ago while it also looked to have been there four thousand upon thousands of years. This was what he had been looking for. He just hoped the person that he wanted to talk to was at home. As he leapt out of the Tumbler and made his way to the ancient relic, he could feel the air around him was charged with a strange energy. It almost felt like static electricity, but different. It was almost like the air itself was trying to see if he was a friend or a foe. He stopped a few feet from the obelisk and looked at it.

"FATE! I REQUEST AN AUDIENCE WITH YOU!" he shouted at the obelisk and heard his voice echo across the landscape. "I should have known he wouldn't make it easy." Batman growled in frustration. "THIS IS NO TIME FOR GAMES, FELIX! I NEED TO TALK TO YOU!" he shouted, even louder this time.

The obelisk almost seemed to tremble as beam of light formed a tall and wide rectangle in the wall Batman was facing before the stone split down the middle and opened to reveal a very shapely and feminine figure. The figure stepped forward from the open door of light and let herself be seen, with a small smirk on her face. Her long black hair was done up in an elegant bun as she wore a baggy yellow long sleeved shirt of Egyptian cotton, and a pair of red bell bottom pants made out of silk. A gold necklace with an Egyptian eagle hung from her tanned brown skin as she looked at the Dark Knight in front of her.

"Long time no see, Ron." She said.

"Is he home, Zita?" he asked her, not bothering to step out of his Batman mode.

"The doctor will see you now." She said with a small chuckle as she led him through the door of light. As soon as he stepped through it, the door sealed itself closed with no sign that it had ever been there.

When the light that was around him dimmed and allowed him to see, he found himself standing inside a massive library that looked to have every book that had ever been written throughout human history. Even several scrolls were on several shelves and neatly stacked in order. On the far side of the room sat two figures that were playing a game of chess. One was a tall man with a somewhat athletic build about him, wearing a what appeared to be a blue leotard with a yellow cape strapped to his shoulders that almost seemed to be made out of pure gold. The figure he was playing against made Batman clinch his fists and prepare himself for a fight as he took a good look at him. The figure was large, maybe eight feet tall if he were standing. His muscles were massive, bigger than anything he had ever seen a normal human body builder ever achieve. He wore a very dirty, tattered, and old pinstripe suit that should have been thrown away decades ago. His skin was pale white, almost like that of bleached bones and callused. His hair was oily and clumped with dirt and mud as his eyes were glazed over and milky white. The kind of eyes he had only seen on a dead corpse.

"What's he doing here?" Batman growled.

"Felix thinks he can help him." Zita told him.

"Correction. I think I can help him regain some of his intelligence and maybe some of his memories." Felix said as he moved one of the chest pieces on the board. "Checkmate." Felix said as the white giant gave a low growl.

"Grundy hate loosing." He said as he began to pout.

"We'll play another game in a few minutes." Felix said as he stood to his feet and walked over to where Batman and Zita stood. "No matter how many times I do this, I don't think I can get used to walking." Felix said with a smile.

"Remove the cape if you want to use your wheelchair again." Batman said to him in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

"I miss you having a sense of humor." Felix said.

"Why is he here?" Batman asked again.

"Believe it or not, Solomon Grundy was once a human. He was a notorious gangster in the forties until he was betrayed by a friend. They dumped his body in Gotham swamp, right into a peat bog. The swamp became a toxic waste dump a few years later, and the various chemicals were able to reanimate Grundy. But his mind was heavily affected by his death and rebirth. I'm trying to help him recover at least some part of whom he used to be."

"Bad idea." Batman growled.

"We'll see." Felix said to him. "Care for some tea or soda?"

"Felix, I came to"

"I know why you came here, Ron. But I was expecting your visit to be sooner than this. Zita almost gave up hope that you would come." Felix said as he took a seat while Zita left to fix herself and Felix something to drink.

"Ron, you have to accept that Kim is dead."

"I don't think she is."

"Ron, I haven't sensed her presence on this plane of existence." Felix said to him.

"Have you tried looking for her on the other side?"

"Well, no. I didn't see the need to,"

"Felix, I know she's alive."

"How Ron? How do you know?"

"I've been having dreams about her since she died. Dreams where she talks to me." Batman said as he stood in front of his old friend.

"Ron, that just means your subconscious,"

"I've been having them when I'm awake." Batman added.

"Oh?" This seemed to capture his interest.

"Felix, I've seen her. The dreams are almost real. I can feel her, I can smell her. My God Felix, it's like she's still alive."

"What about seeing her when you were awake?"

"Twice, so far. The first time was when we had her memorial service in Middleton. I kept seeing her and hearing her call my name. I followed her, and she led me to the school where we first met. She lead me to the exact spot and to where she had lost a hair braid several years ago." Batman told him.

"And the other?"

"When I was shot."

"Shot? Wait, you were shot?"

"It was when the Joker escaped from Arkham with his doctor's help. She became his partner. She was aiming at Robin, but I took the bullet. Robin was racing me back to the cave, and I could see her above me. Felix, I could feel her. I actually felt her hand on my face." Batman told him.

"What happened when you reached the cave?"

"My heart stopped. And I had this – I want to call it a vision. I was with her in a place we used to go. But she wasn't alone. Both of her father's were there, Felix. And,"

Batman stopped as he remembered the dream. Everytime he thought of the third person was there, he swore he could feel his heart ripping out of his chest. Everytime he felt that pain, he tried to dip deeper into his Batman persona to deal with the heartache.

"Ton, I can feel the emotional turmoil within you. Who else was there?" Felix asked him as he stood and placed a hand on Batman's shoulder.

"My – my daughter." Batman growled as he tried to bite back the pain. When he looked up again, he saw the shock in Felix's face. "Kim was pregnant when she died. I saw our daughter there with us. They told us to go back, that we were needed. I brought her back with me, Felix." Batman said.

"I won't lie, I have heard of this happening before. But Ron, you may have just."

"Don't say I dreamed it. I couldn't dream of anything like that." Batman growled.

"All right." Felix said to him. "Was there anything else in the vision you had?"

"Yes. They told us something bad was coming." Batman said to him and he could see Felix begin to think. "Felix, you know what I want." Batman said to him.

"What you ask is very dangerous, Ron." Felix said to him.

"I understand. But I need to know that I'm not going crazy. I need to know if she's alive." Batman said as he glared into Felix's eyes and saw him take a step backwards.

"All right, Ron. I'll look." Felix said as he raised his hands and placed them beside either side of Ron's head as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Think only of Kim and the vision you had when you died. Think of only those two things, and nothing else Ron. Think of only those two things." Felix said as his hands began to glow with a white light.

Felix's eyes opened and were surrounded by a white mystical energy. He could see everything Ron had gone through since her death. Every emotion and every dream was playing before him within nanoseconds. And then he saw the vision that Ron had described. Every image and syllable played before him. And as he saw their return and the latest of Ron's dreams, Felix gasped as he felt two things. Both caught him by such surprised that he broke his contact with Ron and fell backwards into his chair as he both began to gasp for deep breaths of air.

"FELIX!" Zita shouted as she rushed to his side, having walked back in when Felix began his charm. "Felix, what's wrong?" she asked him again while Batman tried to regain his sense of balance.

"I'm fine, Zita. I'm okay." Felix said as he tried to force his breathing to return to normal.

"What did you do?" Batman asked him.

"I scanned your mind. I thought your visions were dreams, but I was wrong. Kim has been in contact with you. Your visions are real. The only time I've ever seen such things is with soul mates." Felix said as he took one more deep breath and stood to his feet.

"Then what made you break contact?" Zita asked him as she stayed by his side.

"Because I felt her. With your last vision of her, the one you had before you came to see me. I felt her, Ron. You are right. Kim Possible is alive." Felix said to him.

"Where is she?"

"I don't know. But she is on Earth, somewhere. But there was something else." He said.

"What do you mean? Something else?"

"The warning you were given. There is a dark threat on the horizon, Ron. Part of it is already here. It's acting as a beacon for something larger. Something hideous is on its way. Whatever it is Ron, its intent is death and destruction. You need to find her as soon as possible, Ron. I feel that you and Kim are our only hope." Felix said to him.


	7. A Bridge Too Far

REIGN

By FAH3

It felt so good to have the use of his legs again and not sit in that wheelchair, but it was somewhat annoying having to walk around with a cane. At least he was able to do more around the control bunker than he had been. But he had to admit, he was sometimes very envious of Wade flying around Metropolis in the suit. The only thing Irons couldn't figure out was how they were able to get this suit working when the prototype he had created several years ago had malfunctioned on him. He wasn't sure if he would ever know what had happened to the prototype. All he could do was make sure that this one stayed functioning, which was what he was doing now. He had just finished updating the HUD display for the helmet and was trying to get some of the dents out of the armor.

This was one thing he wasn't expecting when they built the suit. The gangs were starting to become more heavily armed. Just about all of them were packing his BG-80's now, and the armor wasn't designed to handle so many blows. It might not be such a bad idea to think of some more upgrades. In fact, it might be safer to also build another suit if the ordinance turned out to be too much for this one to handle.

"How bad is the damage?" Wade asked as he came in with a fresh load of groceries for the kitchen section of the base.

"Not too bad. You were lucky." Dr. Irons said to him.

"Lucky that they were bad shots." Wade said as he walked into the area that was laughingly called a kitchen and began putting everything away.

"I've been thinking, Wade. I think we should create another suit as a back up. At the rate the gangs have been arming themselves, this thing might not last that much longer." Dr. Irons said aloud.

"I was thinking the same thing. There was a lot we underestimated, and we're lucky this thing hasn't been fried yet." Wade said.

"You might get your chance." Dr. Irons shouted in an alarmed tone. Wade rushed back into the control room and saw Irons was at a terminal and analyzing a transmission that the computers had intercepted.

"What's wrong?" Wade asked.

"The Sharks and the Bloods are waging a turf war near the Hobbs Bay Bridge. Both are armed with what the police are calling hand-held cannons."

"Toastmasters. Please tell me the suit is ready to go."

"The HUD system has been updated, and the power cells have been fully charged. But I haven't gotten a chance to properly fix the right shoulder. So try and be on the defensive this time, otherwise one shot right there may short out the servos. The last thing you need is to become a flying brick." Irons told him as Wade began to suit up.

"In other words, take them out fast and hard." Wade said.

"And don't do anything stupid."

"Who? Me?" Wade asked with a small grin.

"Why do I have a feeling I should start building the back up now?" Irons asked himself.

**

* * *

**

The Daily Planet

Just another day. At least, that was what Lois was trying to tell herself as she sat at her desk and worked on another boring filler piece. She hated it when she was stuck writing about simple things of day-to-day life. Today, she had to write about the winner of yesterday's charity golf tournament. She would rather write about how most of the proceeds to the charity event are actually, and most likely, filling cooperate pockets and how little was actually going to charity. Let those rich assholes deal with having their dirty little secrets exposed to the light of the world. But here she was, stuck inside the office today.

"Kim, please tell me you've got some gossip for me today." Lois said as she turned to face her partner's desk and immediately kicked herself for doing so.

Several weeks ago, Kim's mother and brothers had come and cleaned out her desk. The desk next to her was so barren that it was hard to believe that her friend and fellow reporter used to sit there at all. With Metropolis trying to rebuild from Doomsday's attack and no sign of Kim being found, she had been declared legally dead. Jimmy wasn't any help either sometimes. He meant well when he kept saying Kim would show up soon or that she was still alive. But frankly, it made Lois just want to pull her hair out by the roots. She just wanted to finally make everyone shut up and tell them that Kim was Superwoman and that she wasn't coming back. That she was gone and for everyone to keep their condolences and everything else to themselves. In fact, she was ready to throw someone out the window the next time they said anything hopeful.

"You know, WGBS has been really banking on the Supergirl. Maybe the Planet should start supporting one of the other ones. I think the cyborg is the real deal." A young intern said as he was walking with Jimmy and Ron Troupe through the bullpen of the City Room.

"Oh, please. If anyone's the real deal, it's got to be the girl. It makes more sense to clone Superwoman than making her look like something from a Terminator movie." Ron said.

"Would you both just knock it off?" Jimmy shouted, causing several reporters to look their way. "No one can replace Superwoman, ever! Especially not that little snot nosed, smart mouth little"

"ENOUGH!" Lois shouted and marched her way to the young trio. She was so sick and tired about hearing those four clowns that she was ready to draw blood. "Look, it's a fact I knew Superwoman. She saved me enough times that I actually got to know her. And I can tell you right here and now that none of those fakers out there are her! GOT IT?" Lois demanded.

"S-sure, Miss Lane." The intern said as he tried to control the shaking in his knees. "I think I need to get – someone – some coffee." The intern said and quickly ran off.

"I think I need to contact a source." Troupe said as he quickly tried to get as far from Lois Lane as he could.

"What about you, Jimmy?" she asked him.

"I'd buy you a drink if I could." He said with a smile and saw the small smile appear on Lois' face. "It's good to know I'm not the only one who thinks a bunch of these guys are frauds." Jimmy said to her.

"Right now, I think she'd be spinning in her grave if she knew what was going on. I see all those phonies on the TV and I can't help but cringe. It's like they're disgracing her memory and everything she stood for, Jim." Lois said.

"Whoa. Heavy." Jimmy said. "Do you think they'll ever find them?"

"Them?" Lois asked.

"Superwoman's body. And – Miss Possible's." Jimmy said as he looked at the empty desk. "She's not coming back, is she?" he asked.

"No, Jimmy. She's not. A world without Superwoman is one thing, but it's something completely different in a world without Kim Possible." Lois said.

"Lane, can I see you in here?" Perry asked her.

"Sure, chief." Lois said as she made her way to Perry's office. "What do you need to chew my butt out about this time?" Lois said as she took a seat.

"Lois, I need to talk to you about something." Perry said as he took his seat behind his desk and placed something on his desk. "Do you recognize this?" he asked her.

"Your dirty laundry?" Lois asked him.

"The janitor found it when he was cleaning out one of the closets yesterday. It's a set of Kimberly's clothes." He said as he started to give Lois a look that she knew well. A look a reporter gives someone when they're on to something big.

"How do you know they're Kim's?" Lois asked. She'd been in several situations like this before and knew how to keep her cool. Being here with her boss was no different than facing a drug lord or lunatic with powers coming out the wazoo.

"A Press Pass with her name and photo were in it, along with this." He said as he tossed an old plane ticket on top of clothes. "That's a ticket to Japan for a story I gave her three years ago. She was in Japan the day after I gave her the assignment. How did she get there if she didn't have a ticket?" Perry asked her.

"Chief, what are you trying to get at?" Lois asked him.

"You tell me, Lane." was all Perry said to her.

"With the clothes, it's easy. I always told her to bring a spare set of clothes with her. You never know what's going to happen when you're out getting a story. The hard thing is trying to find a place to put them and remember where they are. And the ticket is even simpler."

"It is?" Perry asked her.

"Perry, she was dating one of the richest men in the world. She probably called Stoppable when she found out she forgot the ticket, and he flew her there in his jet. I wouldn't be surprised if he has his own personal concord." Lois said to him.

"You do have a point." Perry said to himself as he looked at the clothes and ticket again. "But with Kim always rushing off, these clothes, and her getting those scoops. And to this day, I never saw her and Superwoman anywhere near each other." Perry said out loud.

"Perry, the same can be said for a lot of people. But think about it. Why would someone like Superwoman hide as a reporter? Someone with that much power and they try to hide it?" Lois asked him.

"Maybe you're right, Lois. Possible had so much potential, and I just hate to see that snuffed out by that – that thing." Perry said.

"I did too, Perry. But life isn't fair, is it?" Lois asked him.

"No, it isn't. I've found that out the hard way too many times." Perry said.

"So have I." Lois said to herself.

"CHIF! CHIEF!" one of the interns shouted as they barged into Perry's office.

"Can't you see I'm in a meeting here?" Perry shouted at the young man.

"Sorry Chief, but news bulletin just came on the TV. There's a gang war going on at Hobbs Bay Bridge. The bulletin said that both gangs were packing cannons!" the intern said.

"Lane,"

"I'm on it!" Lois shouted, walking past the intern and already halfway through the busy City Room.

"Just be careful, Lane. Superwoman isn't around anymore to pull your ass out of the fire." Perry whispered to himself.

* * *

Under the large aging bridge in Hobbs Bay, the thunder of the deadly Toastmasters rang out in deafening volumes. Pieces of the bridge, as well as several parts of various surrounding buildings, had been destroyed by wayward shells while several cars and bodies were laying burned to an unrecognizable state. Everything around the two warring factions was either burning or lay in smoking heaps. Most of the bodies had been ripped in half while others were barley being held together with only the smallest strands of muscle or bone. All around the fatal wounds, the flesh had been burned away from the combined friction and heat fired from the merciless Toastmasters. Police had cornered off the area, but were too afraid to try and stop the brutal carnage before them. Several SWAT officers, and others in riot gear, had already been killed in the crossfire alone. The weapons the gangs were carrying had torn through their gear and protective armor like it had been made out of tissue paper.

Above the horrific urban war zone, several choppers hovered above. Two were police choppers while the rest were from various news networks. One of them was a dark green chopper with the logo of the Daily Planet on the side in bright yellow paint. Inside, Lois was describing what she was seeing below her.

"I hope you can see everything from here Miss Lane, because I'm not going to risk getting any lower." The chopper pilot said.

"That's okay, Dusty. I wouldn't want you to try either. I saw one of those thugs take out two cars with only one shot. Who knows what their range is." Lois said as she felt part of the army brat emerge. When your father was a decorated commanding officer, you couldn't help but learn a few things here and there.

"Isn't anyone going to try and stop them?" her pilot, Dusty, asked.

"I don't know if they can." Lois said and continued to describe what was happening in her hand held recorder.

As Lois described more of what she saw, she couldn't help but begin to remember some of the horror stories her grandfather, a World War II veteran, used to tell her. She paused her recording for a brief moment when she saw something appear on the rooftops not too far from the gang war. She was a little confused and doubted her eyes for a moment until she looked again. A small smile appeared on her lips when she realized she was seeing a red cape attached to a large figure. She realized and knew it could be one out of several heroes, but she knew who it was. The clues that revealed the identity of the red capped figure were the large yellow diamond shape on the cape, and the large hammer the figure was holding.

* * *

"YOU WANT SOME OF THIS? SHOW YOUR PUNK ASS AND I'LL SHOVE THIS STRAIGHT UP YOR ASS!" the young man screamed as he fired the large weapon at random, and did his best not to fall backward from the recoil.

"Would you shut up, fool? You ain't shooting Sharks! You're shooting at the damn police!"

"So what? After we kill them Sharks, we'll kill them to! Metropolis belongs to the Bloods!" the gang banger said as he fired his weapon again, seconds before a shell from the opposing gang tore through his torso.

"Told that idiot to shut up." The older ganger member said as he took aim at a Shark lieutenant.

"WHY DON'T YOU TAKE YOUR OWN ADVICE FOR ONCE!" a voice shouted before a large hammer came down on the weapon, breaking the canon housing and almost breaking the gang member's hands at the same time.

A metal fist struck the side of the man's face before another launched several large bolts from a wrist mounted gauntlet, piercing the weapon's barrels and sending their wielders to the ground. Several others were beginning to take noticed of the metal man in the red cape and began to take aim at him. As several fired the deadly ballistic shells at his position, the boots on his feet quickly roared to life and propelled him several feet above them as he launched several more bolts at both gangs.

"Time for a game of twenty questions. Starting with who gave you these!" the metal man shouted as he landed in the middle of the Sharks. He quickly reached for his buckled and firmly grasped it, making his armor emit a low hum. Before most of the Sharks knew what had just happened, their weapons were pulled out of their hands and began to pool around the large armored man's feet.

"Did you see that?" one member of the Bloods asked.

"Yeah. The Man of Steel just made them sitting ducks." Another Blood grinned as he switched the weapons modes from the large shell to the automatic rifle that had been built into it.

"HERE I COME TO SAVE THE DAY!" a loud, young, and very feminine voice sang out above the battle scene.

A large gust of wind caught several by surprise and knocked them onto their backs as the armored man looked up. In the sky above was none other than the young teenager that had claimed to be Superwoman's clone. Several of the still armed gang members raised their weapons and began to open fire on her. She was drawing their fire away from him, giving him an opening he needed to try and stop this.

"Miss me! Missed again! I think you guys need glasses!" the young woman said as she weaved in and out of the paths of several weapons as they continued to fire. However, only the Man of Steel could see that she had done more harm than good. Behind the young teen, several of the media helicopters had come in to try and get a better shot of the young heroine and into the line of fire. One of them was also the helicopter that had the large logo of the Daily Planet on it.

* * *

"Dusty, what are you doing?" Lois screamed when she noticed how low they were going.

"I can't help it, Miss Lane. If I didn't lower the chopper, that damn Spike Network chopper would have hit us head on." The pilot said.

"Just be on the look out. That Supergirl kid is right below us." Lois said as she looked out the window.

"She's what?" Dusty asked and quickly looked. HE had spent a few years flying helicopters in the armed forces and knew when he had flown his butt into the middle of the hornet's nest. He easily recognized the girl purposely drawing the fire of the warring factions, but cold realization also hit him hard in the face. While trying to save their lives, he just endangered them. He had flow directly into range of the heavy duty cannons that most of the punks beneath them were carrying. And one was heading toward the chopper he was flying!

"MISS LANE, GET OUT!" he shouted as he reached over and unbuckled her harness.

Before Lois could protest, he shoved Lois as hard as he could toward the helicopter's door. He had pushed her hard enough that the door came open and Lois immediately began to fall from the helicopter. As Lois saw the chopper fall away from her, her eyes widened in horror as she saw the large shell strike the helicopter and cause the fuel to explode in a massive fireball. It was several seconds before realized that she was falling toward the ground without a parachute and didn't even know if she was heading toward ground or water. The thought this might actually be the last few of moments of her life began to enter her mind before she felt cold metal press against her and realize she had fallen into someone's arm. She looked up to see a large black visor of a helmet covering the face of her rescuer and the bright red cape that hung from his shoulders.

"Are you all right, Miss Lane?" he asked in a deep, digitized voice.

"I-I'm fine. H-how do you know who I am?" she asked as the man used his rockets to maneuver them to the roof of a building and sat both of them down gently.

"You should be able to get down from here safely." He said as he turned to leave her.

"WAIT A MINUTE!" Lois shouted as she grabbed the cape's collar and forced him to turn back around to face her. "So far, all the others are claiming to be Superwoman. So what's your story?"

"I'm not claiming to be anyone, Miss Lane. I'm wearing this shield in honor of her. Now, excuse me." He said as he propelled himself back into the fray.

The Man of Steel touched down several yards behind the young Superwoman as she started hamming it up for the press. All the gang members had scattered, meaning that he had lost his chance at pumping them for information. And instead of offering to carry the wounded to the hospital, she was acting like a dancing monkey for the press. It was time for this little brat's ass to get shoved into time out.

"It was nothing, really. Nothing I couldn't handle." The young clone said, not even noticing that the Man of Steel was almost on top of her until he grabbed her by her leather jacket.

"We need to talk Super_girl_." The Man of Steel growled as he launched himself into the air, and dragged her with him.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" the young teen clone shouted as the large armored man landed on top of the bridge towers and held the young woman inches from his covered face.

"I don't care what you want to be called. Did you even know what the hell you were doing? Those gangs had information I needed! Weapons In planned to destroy!" he shouted at her.

"I drew their fire so you wouldn't get hurt! So sue me!"

"Didn't you even think about who might be behind you?"

"Behind me? What are you talking about?" the young clone asked.

"The Planet chopper was behind you. It was destroyed by one of those shots you dodged." The Man of Steel said as he saw how pale she suddenly became.

"B-but Miss Lane!" she said as her face was filled with horror. She had seen Lois in the helicopter as she flew into the fire fight. But when everyone started shooting at her, she hadn't given the reporter a second thought.

"Your lucky I was able to save her. But her pilot was killed. It could've been any of them! Including that prissy rich bitch you've been brown nosing up to." He said.

The young woman quickly shoved the large man away from her, breaking his grip and hovered a few feet above him. Wade quickly thanked John Henry for making sure everything was still functioning in the suit. If even the smallest thing was malfunctioning, that shove probably would have sent down toward the suspension bridge beneath them.

"You're saying it's my fault the pilot died?" the young girl demanded.

"I'm saying that you should keep to the shadows until you're ready to think things through. Or else more people might get killed!" Wade shouted.

"For your information, I'm Superwoman! Or at least her clone, so what damn right do _you_ have to lecture _me_?" the young girl demanded before she turned and flew off into the Metropolis skyline. _"I do think things through. Don't I?"_ she asked herself as she continued to fly, not sure where she wanted to go.

**

* * *

**

Gotham City

In the deep confines of the batcave, Hanna Stoppable's right eye began to twitch as she watched the latest Metropolis news reports on the main computer. As she did so, her grip on the arm rests were becoming so tight that it looked like she may actually have pulled the arm rest off the chair.

"That little – bruha." She growled to herself as her blood began to boil. Like Ron, she had an excellent understanding of the Spanish language and would often used it. Especially when she was feeling angry and needed to use colorful language in order to express herself.

"Hanna? What are you still doing up?" Dick asked as he climbed onto the platform from where his and her cycles rested. Ron had sent her homw from patrol early because of her lack of sleep lately and thought she could use the rest. After the patrol, Ron sent Dick back to the cave while he went and checked on a few things.

"I wanted to see what these – fakes were up to." Hanna said in a voice that almost matched Ron's bat voice. Ever since they learned was actually Hanna's biological father, Dick began to see more and more of Ron in her from time to time. And if she was starting to sound like Ron as Batman, then that meant she was really upset.

"Did something bad happen?" Dick asked as he removed the domino mask that had covered his face.

"That little super bitch." Hanna growled. "The one claiming to be Kim's clone. She acted like such a total – IDIOT!" Hannah screamed, causing Dick to jump. Now he knew Hannah was pissed. It was rare when Hannah got very angry. But if she was trying this hard not to curse in English or Spanish, then that meant she was about ready to explode like Mt. Saint Helen's.

"I'm guessing what you saw wasn't good." Dick said, hoping he wasn't the victim of his girlfriend's wrath. He had seen first hand what she did to criminals on a daily basis, and knew what she was capable of.

"She acted like a hot head! She actually got a chopper pilot killed, and she's acting like a high school quarterback that made a winning touchdown! Doesn't she even realize what she did? AND SHE'S CALLING HERSELF SUPERWOMAN? MOM MUST BE SPINNING IN HER GRAVE RIGHT NOW!" Hannah screamed so loudly that the bats in the cave began flying toward the cave opening as fast as they could.

"Hannah, you need to calm – did you say mom?"

"I SAID KIM, DICK! NOW WATCH IT!" Hannah shouted as she stormed past her boyfriend and toward the chamber that housed her bat suits.

"Hannah, I think you should just calm down." Dick said as he followed her.

"I think I should give that little whack job a piece of my mind." Hannah said from inside the vault.

"No offence Hannah, but it looks like this kid clone has most of her powers. How are you going to give her a piece of your mind?" Dick asked.

"I'm Batman's daughter, aren't I? I'll think of something." Hannah said as she exited the vault with a traveling case. Dick automatically knew that those cases had two, maybe three, suits already packed in it. Hannah wasn't serious about this, was she?

"Hannah, be reasonable."

"No, Dick. I don't care what you or anyone else says, that brat is putting a stain on Kim's name. I'm sorry if you don't like it, but someone's got to put that little bitch in her place." Hannah said as she climbed up the stairs to the computer and to the main elevator that would open in the silver closet above.

"No, Hanna." Dick said as he stood in front of her. "You're not thinking clearly. I'm not going to let you walk into a fight you're not going to win just because you're pissed off." Dick said, determined to keep her in the cave. He had seen what Ron had almost done when he was grieving for Kim, and it had almost gotten him killed. He'd be damned before he saw his best friend, the woman he loved, laying on that table near death.

"Dick?"

"Yes?"

"Flash bang." Hannah said.

"What?" Dick asked her.

Before Dick had a chance to figure out what Hannah had meant, a bright flash of blinding white light went off. Dick closed his eyes brightly to the bright light and covered them with his hands as he felt fresh hot tears begin to fall. He didn't know how she did it, but she had set off one of their flash-bang grenades. Very smart. Dick rubbed his eyes and began to blink as hard as he could several times before his sight began to return. The first thing he noticed was that Hannah was no where to be seen in the cave at all. As he looked, he heard the elevator behind him beep. He looked to see that it was returning back to the cave after reaching the mansion above. She sneaked right by him! As soon as the elevator doors opened, he quickly got in and hit the button for it to ascend. She had a large head start, but there may be a chance he could still stop her before she did something stupid.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, Robin ran as fast as he could to the door of the silver closet, and crashed face first into it. Ron stumbled backwards to the floor as his nose and part of his face surged with pain. He had turned the knob to the door, so why didn't it open? Dick wiped away the blood that had fallen from his injured nose and jerked the knob and pushed the door, but the door wouldn't open. He pushed harder and harder against the door, but it wouldn't budge. He couldn't figure out what was wrong until his brain remembered something. Whenever they had parties at the mansion, they kept a padlock on the outside of the door so no one steal the silver, or discover the entrance to the cave. Hannah locked the door after she used it!

"Very cute, Hannah. But there's more than one way out of the cave." Dick said as he returned to the elevator.

As soon as the elevator had stopped, he bolted to the stairs that would lead to the clock in the study. That was usually their main way into the cave anyway, and probably his best way out. As soon as he reached the top of the stairs, he was shocked to find that the clock wasn't moving at all. He pulled at the door as he could, but nothing. This didn't make any sense! Why wouldn't it move? It shouldn't be doing this. That's when Dick's mind came up with one idea. It was a safety program Wade had installed into the computer and security systems before he had left. Dick quickly ran down the stairs two to three at a time until he was in front of the large view screen of the computer. Dick began brining up everything he could about the mansion's security systems until he saw it. Hannah had activated the lockdown measure by remote. In case it looked like the cave security might be compromised, all entrances to the cave were locked down. Except one. The main entrance they used for the Tumbler and their cycles. It was still open, but not for long. How she was able to rig this, he might never know. But Hannah had set the computer to run a diagnostic on itself, and then every entrance and exit to the cave would be sealed close. And the only two people who could deactivate the diagnostic were either Wade or Ron. And Wade was somewhere in Metropolis, and Ron was still investigating something.

Dick saw he only had less than a minute until the cave sealed itself completely. Hurrying as best as he could, Dick jumped onto the guard railing and leapt down to where his Red Bird cycle and bat cycles sat. Grabbing a helmet, he swiftly put it over his head as he leapt to his cycle and activated. He throttled the bike to full speed and held on for dear life as he flew through the tunnel that would lead to the deserted dirt road to Gotham. He could see it in the distance, and only had a few feet to go. He knew he could make, he knew it. He was only ten feet away when he saw the entrance seal closed and the locks engage. Dick quickly applied the breaks and put the bike into a side skid, stopping within a few inches from the large door. He was trapped. That means he only had one option left, and he didn't like it.

"Robin to Batman." He said as he touched the device that was in his ear, but was rewarded with silence. "Robin to Batman. Can you hear me, Batman?" he asked again, but still was rewarded with nothing but silence. "Robin to Watchtower. Watchtower, can you read me?" Robin asked, knowing that contacting the League was drastic. But still there was nothing but the sounds of silence. Hannah had jammed the transmissions! Hannah was off doing something stupid, and she made sure he had no way of stopping her! And Dick didn't know how long it would be until Ron would be back. One thing Dick was sure off was that he wasn't going to like Ron's reaction when he had to explain all of this.

**

* * *

**

Metropolis

Lois was sitting in her recliner at her apartment and sipping on a glass of wine. She had written her story on the turf war and turned it in within an hour after she had gotten back to the Daily Planet. Then she had gotten a rough ass chewing from Perry about putting herself in danger. She knew he was upset about the chopper pilot, Dusty, getting killed. Perry had known Dusty longer than Lois had and knew he wouldn't have flown lower if he could have avoided it. That still didn't make it easy to let his family know what had happened. Lois offered to help breaking the news, but Perry insisted that he do it himself. Then that brought the reason why Lois was trying to relax in the first place.

The stupid kid. The Supergirl. She still couldn't believe that idiot kid would pull such a stupid stunt. Kim would have never done anything like that if there were civilians around. Never! But that just drove that fact home even more for Lois. Clone or not, the kid just simply wasn't her friend. What was worse, she found out a new reporter was going to be taking Kim's old desk. Why did time have to keep moving on when everyone else wasn't ready yet?

Lois took another sip of wine and used her universal remote to put on a CD of some slow jazz. Lois wasn't really into that kind of music at first. But after Kim and her interviewed a source that was a musician at a Jazz club, Lois had stated developing a taste for it. And right now, she needed everything she could to just make her forget about the world outside and just make it go away for a while. Lois set the glass of wine on a near by table and eased herself into the soft cushions of her recliner while the music began to let her brain drift into a dream of her relaxing on a beach in the south seas. A small smile began to form on her face before a loud knock on her door broke the trance she had begun to put herself in.

"Now what?" Lois asked herself as she stopped the CD and went tot he front door. "Who is it?" she called out, and kicked herself for that. You never let anyone know you're home in a city unless you know who's there.

"It's Cat." A woman on the other side of her front door said.

"Cat?" Lois asked herself for a minute as she looked out the peep hole. "Cat Grant?" Lois asked again as she unlocked the door.

Cat had once worked for the Daily Planet years ago, but went to work for WGBS when Vincent Edge, the owner of WGBS, had made her a better offer. Ever since then, they had sort of a childish rivalry going on as reporters. But they also still had a good friendship between them which was somewhat hard to believe every now and then.

"Cat, what are you doing here?" Lois asked her.

"I didn't know who else to turn to." Cat said as she bit her lower lip, and Lois could see how bad she really looked. Her eyes were red from crying as tearstains covered her cheeks. Her hair was a mess, and what little make-up was still on her face was severely smeared.

"What's happened?" Lois asked her.

"It's my son." Was all she said before she collapsed in the reporter's arms and began crying.

* * *

SCANNING POLICE FREQUENCIES

So far, nothing that required its immediate attention. Petty crimes were the only things its scanners could detect so far. Robberies, assaults, nothing major. Crime wise, the police bands were quiet for once. It might be because of itself and the other three supposed "super" beings. Maybe it should scan other frequencies for the time being.

SCANNING ALL EMERGENCY CHANNELS . . . . NO IMMEDIATE EMERGENCIES DETECTED.

It was still silent, even on the other bandwidths. It didn't predict this type of lull in criminal activity for another few weeks in the least. At least, the computer portion of its mind did. Sometimes, it was just so confusing. It had all these emotions and incredible sensations from senses of the body, but it conflicted with the machine half. Sometimes, the machine felt so numb at times. Like when your foot falls asleep. Not to mention that the computer that was active made calculations so fast. And some of the programming felt like it was trying to dominate her brain and body. It was as if her body was trying to reason with the machine, but the machine wouldn't budge wit anything.

TRANSMISSION DETECTED. LOCATIONG SOURCE.

The machine half was trying to take over for a minute. For the moment, she would humor it. But as she flew through the various tall buildings of the city, she soon realized that the transmission her sensors had picked up was nothing more than a new bulletin. She was in the hears of Metropolis, and one of the giant television monitors was reporting local events. With things being so slow for a moment, it wouldn't hurt for her to catch up on current events.

"_Earlier in the week, we reported that Adam Gran,t the son of WGBS reporter Cat Grant, had become one of several children that been kidnapped in the recent weeks. Police were stunned when several of the missing children were located near the Superwoman memorial in Centennial Park and were able to tell the authorities where they were being held._

"_The children led the authorities to a converted toy factory that had been changed to what would seem a child's wonderland. Their captor turned out to be escaped mental patient, Winslow P. Schott; also known as the Toyman. The escaped mental patient had been kidnapping various children and putting them in what he thought would be paradise for them. Trying to atone for the children that were hurt in the bomb explosions he created as revenge against his former employers. One of the children being held captive turned out to be Adam Grant. The escaped children told authorities that it was Adam Grant that had found a way for them to escape._

_Sadly, after authorities had apprehended Schott, they found the body of Adam Grant a few feet from where the children had been able to escape through an open air duct. Toyman confessed to fatally stabbing Adam Grant because he had let his play things escape, and bad boys didn't deserve a paradise. Toyman is currently in police custody."_

UNACCEPTABLE.

* * *

Several reporters had gathered, as well as photographers, to get a shot of the Toyman's face. Many people in Metropolis knew it had been a mistake that he was found innocent of bombing his former employers homes. Now everyone was absolutely furious. Instead of going to prison, he had been found innocent but still was sent to an asylum for observation and treatment. The lunatic had escaped, and now look what he had done. When he was arrested the first time, his mind had snapped because children had gotten hurt. Now here he was, arrested for kidnapping children and murdering one of them.

The man that had gotten out of the car looked completely different than the way he had when he was first arrested. His skin had become severely pale from spending so much time in doors. His dark hair was long and greasy from not being washed with several strands blocking his eyes. He was now somewhat skinny and malnourished. His glasses were being held together by garbage bag twist ties and scotch tape with his yellowed teeth exposed as he sneered at the surrounding officers. He wore a tattered t-shirt that was stained from sweat, and a pair of old and holy sweatpants. He looked more like someone you would find under a bridge than someone who was once a brilliant inventor.

As Toyman was being lead up to the entrance to the jail, a lone figure landed in front of him. A figure that made the reporters and police part like Moses and the Red Sea. Most of them didn't know how to act or react to the figure's strange appearance. A woman with long red hair, and a long red cape. Under her hair, her face was young and smooth with the exception of her right eye, cheek and forehead. What seemed to be a smooth piece of metal, sculpted to almost be a skull, started at the front of the woman's face and seemed to wrap around to under her long mane of red hair. A glowing red eyepiece sat, looking like it was constantly glaring at everything within its range. The suit she wore seemed to be a combination of skin tight clothing and body armor at the same time. Her left arm was real while it was obvious her right arm was completely cybernetic. No one could tell how far because of her clothing, but it looked like most of her legs were even cybernetic. And on her chest was a dark, burgundy red pentagonal S shield. If it weren't for the cybernetic eye, everyone could almost swear it was Superwoman.

"Is there something wrong?" one officer asked, noticing the cold stare the cyborg had.

"I need to have a word alone with the prisoner." The cyborg woman said as she griped Toyman by his collar and flew into the air with him before anyone could object.

"Can – she do that?" another officer asked as they watched them soar high into the sky.

"I know my right, you know. I don't have anything to say to you!" the Toyman shouted as the cyborg kept her attention glued to flying higher and higher. When they finally stopped, they were floating several feet above the city. They were even past the top of Gough Tower, which was one of the highest buildings in Metropolis. At their height, the cars below them seemed to be no bigger than flees off of a dog's back.

"I'm not saying anything to you! Do you hear me?" Toyman insisted as the cyborg looked at him, her face devoid of any and all emotion as the cybernetic eye began to glow bright red.

"How about – goodbye?" she asked in a monotone voice and let go of the Toyman. As he screamed in pure abject terror and fell away from her and out of sight, a sadistic and satisfied smile crossed her face.

The Toyman crashed down onto the top of a police cruiser with a loud and echoing crash! Part of the cruiser jumped as the car was bent inward while all the glass was shattered and the metal warped. Everyone had ducked and crouched low when they heard the crash, fearing an attack or something worse. When everyone looked at the destroyed cruiser, no one could believe what they saw before them. Lying on the cruiser, partially sandwiched between the warped and twisted metal, was the Toyman. His eyes were rolled into the back of his head as his body shook and convulsed in jerky spasms. Blood dripped from his ears as more and more blood exited his mouth and coated the rest of his face in a sickening chuck berry red. Above them, the cyborg Superwoman just smiled.

ACCEPTABLE.

The cyborg heroine began to lower herself closer to the ground in order to get a clear reading on the body of Schott. The reporters sieged forward as the cyborg came closer, asking and demanding questions in an incoherent mess. She merely ignored them as she looked at the body of Winslow Schot and used her sensors to examin it. There was no pulse, no heart beat, and all brain activity had ceased with the massive trauma. Toyman was dead.

"Why did you kill the Toyman?"

"Was this necessary?"

The cyborg's smile disappeared as she looked up to face the gathered reporters. All of them seemed to go quiet all at once as they were met with the cyborg's cold gaze.

"Toyman would have killed again, that much was clearly obvious. This way, everyone is safer without having to bother with the process of going through a trial. The end justifies the means. Even when I was younger, I always used my powers for the greater good." The cyborg said before flying away.

* * *

The televised event of Toyman's death was broadcast all around the world. Watching the broadcast in horrified shock were three people in particular. Wade Load, Anne Possible, and Ron Stoppable as he drove back to his home in the Tumbler. All of them couldn't believe what they had just seen before them. And as they watched the cyborg's cold and heartless interview, all of them glared at their TV's. At that moment, all of them said one thing and one thing only.

"That's not Kim."


	8. Bat vs Brat

REIGN

By FAH3

As Sheila opened the door to the apartment she had given to the young Superwoman, she could tell something was wrong. On the table, her naco sat cold and untouched while the floor was covered in cans of root beer. Like Kim, the young clone concentrated on staying healthy and thin up to a point. So the young woman had made it a habit of drinking and eating as much healthy food as she could. So if her apartment was this cluttered with nothing but junk food, then that meant something was wrong. And she had a pretty good idea what. It wasn't long before she found the young clone in her bedroom. It looked like she had just gotten out of the shower and was wearing an emerald green robe as she held her uniform top, just looking at the red and yellow shield that was on its chest.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Sheila asked her.

"I didn't hear you come in." the young clone mumbled.

"Now I know something's up." Sheila said.

"How do you figure that?"

"Because Superwoman's hearing was so finely tuned, she could hear a fly fart on Everest. And you being her clone," Sheila said and trailed off. The young woman didn't bother looking up, but kept her eyes glued to the shield on her uniform. "Do you want to talk about it?" Sheila asked. Her mom was always good at these kinds of talks, but not her. She was just hoping she didn't get a sudden case of foot-in-mouth disease.

"Do I think things through?" she asked.

"Huh?" Sheila didn't really understand what the young girl was asking her.

"Earlier, I thought I was doing something good. I was trying to get those guys to stop shooting at the armored guy in the cape. You know, the one everyone calls the Man of Steel. And – someone,"

The young girl couldn't finish her sentence as tears began to pool in her eyes and fall down her pale face. A few sobs were starting to escape as her grip on her uniform top began to tighten. Sheila didn't know where her next move came from, but was surprised as soon as she did it. She wrapped her arm around the girl's shoulder and pulled her in close. As the young woman began to weep into Sheila's shirt, Shego gently stroked the hair on her head like she had seen Ron do with Kim so many years ago. The closest thing Shego had ever come to love in her whole life was her assistant Mercy, but they weren't the kind of emotions one would expect in a relationship like theirs. Mercy might see their relationship as lovers, but Sheila only saw her as a close friend with benefits. But something in her actually went out to this young girl she was holding right now. And it wasn't the kind of emotion she had for Mercy or the other Kim clone. What was it?

"I saw the news, kiddo. I know what happened." Sheila said to her in a gentle tone of voice.

"Why didn't I know they were there? Why?" the young girl cried as more tears began to fall.

"You were concentrated on something else. I know you didn't mean for that chopper to be destroyed."

"I bet Superwoman wouldn't have screwed up like that. I got someone killed today." The young girl cried.

"Do you – remember how I said I knew Superwoman?"

"Yeah." She said.

"Well, I've known her for a long time. And I know for a fact that she wasn't perfect either. She had to learn as she went along to." Sheila said.

"But she never got anyone killed."

"_Crap, this is harder than I thought."_ Sheila thought to herself. How was she going to cheer this kid up and back to doing her job?

"Do you mind if I tell you a story?" Sheila asked her.

"No." the young clone answered.

"A couple of years ago, there was a young girl who found out she had amazing powers. She could do things that nobody else could do, and that made a lot of people scared of her. So, she was always looking for a way to either fit in and be normal, or prove that she wasn't some monster people thought she might be. Then one day, her big brother got a very crazy idea."

"What was that?"

"Well, since the rest of her family had powers too, he decided they should become superheroes. More specifically, a team of heroes."

"Let me guess, she thought it was a brilliant idea." The clone said.

"Actually, she thought her brother should have been thrown into the nearest nut house. But the rest of them thought it was a great idea and went along with it. But after a few of their adventures, she couldn't stand to just watch them get hurt. So, she joined their team to make sure they didn't do anything stupid."

"And they all live happily ever after, the end." The clone said sarcastically.

"No, they didn't." Shego said and noticed she now had the girl's attention. "It turns out that the girl had developed a very short fuse from all the years of being teased and treated like she was a monster. And during one fight, she let her temper get away from her. So she used her powers to try and hurt a criminal as best as she could. But when the criminal was caught and she calmed down, she saw she had done more damage than good. And what was worse, several innocent people got hurt in the process." Sheila said.

"What happened afterward?"

"Well, a lot of people didn't trust her for a while. Not even her brothers. She even tried to hide for a while. But she realized that her brothers needed her, and there was more that mattered than her feeling guilty. It took her a while, and a lot of practice in controlling her temper, but she earned people's trust back; eventually." Sheila said.

"So, she just kept being a good guy and everyone forgave her?" the young woman asked.

"More or less. I guess what I'm trying to tell you is that the only way for you to prove your sorry is to learn from your mistakes. You now know to keep a better eye and ear open, and to mind your surroundings. But don't give up. You see, that girl saw that continuing to be a hero also seemed like a way to redeem herself for what she had done. As her way to say I'm sorry. Get it?" Sheila asked her.

"It's really corny, but I get it." The clone said.

"Good." Sheila said. "So what are you going to do now?" Sheila asked her.

"For starters, I think I owe the Man of Steel an apology." The clone said.

"Say what?"

"I was a little – rude to him earlier." The clone said as she began to slightly blush and look guilty. "I think I should go find him and apologize." The young girl said.

"Sounds like a plan. Just don't stay out too late." Sheila said as she got up to leave.

"What happened to the girl? Is she still a hero?" the young woman asked her.

"I – wish I knew. I haven't seen her in a long time." Sheila said and left.

Sheila let out a heavy sigh as she walked away. It was hard having to tell the girl part of her past. And oddly enough, it was even harder lying to her about it as well. The day she had lost her fuse was when she also had quit being a part of Team Go. She had been in hiding for a while, and that was when she decided she wanted to be Drakken's sidekick. She had never felt herself while she had been a hero, and she had joined Team Go to keep an eye on her brothers. But the day she had destroyed so much had opened her eyes and made her realize what she wanted to do more. And that was be herself. Even if she was the villain of the story, at least she knew who she was.

As she made her way back to her office/apartment, she felt her cell phone begin to vibrate. She had told Mercy not to contact her unless it was important. As she looked at the caller I.D., she saw it was Mercy herself that was calling her. What was going on that her assistant needed to talk to her now?

"What is it?" Sheila asked.

"_I just got word from the R&D guys. They were going over the data they got from watching the Man of Steel and the kid fighting, and found a unique two-way frequency coming from Steel."_

"Two-way frequency? Are you telling me someone was talking to him?" Sheila asked.

"_It looks like that. And you were right about your theory, Sheila. The suit's design matches your private records. It's matches the one Dr. Irons created. It's probably a safe bet that he's the Man of Steel. Sheila, are you there?" _Mercy asked when she didn't hear her employer say anything.

"I'm fine. In fact, we may have found a way to rid ourselves of a little white pest. Can they isolate the frequency?"

"_They say they can."_

"Good. I want to send Dr. Irons a little gift. For old time's sake."

* * *

"I have to admit Wade, you are very agile for a computer geek." Dr. Irons said as he finished the repairs and modifications on the suit while he monitored the fabrication of the back up armor.

"When you're Kim Possible's go-to-guy, you learn a few things over the years." Wade said as he iced his knees while he had an ice pack tapped to both shoulders. "We have to work on the suit's mobility. It feels like I'm wearing a tank. Not to mention the strength boost doesn't help that much with the hammer."

"What can I say? I made it according to my physique. I also wanted to get a work out." Irons said with a laugh.

"That's got me curious. How does a brilliant scientist like you end up with a body that would make the Terminator envious?" Wade asked him.

"I used to be a skinny little kid that got picked on a lot, and I had to deal with a lot of racists growing up. I was naturally big and wide, so I started working out to intimidate all those A-holes. Plus, I used to work in the junkyard of an old family friend. I learned how things worked by taking apart a bunch of old things and trying to put them back together." Irons said and started a diagnostic of the computer systems in the suit.

As he continued to work, Dr. Irons discovered something strange appear on the diagnostic. As Irons took a closer look at what the diagnostic had found, he realized someone had sent an electronic message through their comm frequency! They'd been hacked! Irons quickly ran a scan of the message to make sure it wasn't a trace program or delivering a devastating computer virus. Amazingly enough, it was clean. But this didn't make sense at all. Why would someone send them an ordinary message through a protected comm link? With curiosity getting the better of him, Irons accessed the message and began to read. What the message itself said was making his mouth hit the floor.

"Are you all right? You went quiet all of a sudden." Wade said.

"I'm – fine. I'm just - trying to make sure nothing is going wrong in the new suit's construction." Irons said.

"Well, don't take too long. I'm going to go ahead and go to bed." Wade said and he pulled himself to his feet and walked away.

"Sure. Sure." Irons said as he continued to read the message.

He didn't know who had sent the message or who it was from, but what he and Wade had been sent was unbelievable. According to the data that was in front of him, the person creating and selling his weapons out onto the streets of Metropolis was none other than his former lab partner, Dr. Lapin. He also noticed that along with the data was a map that lead to the possible location for her base of operations. Most likely, this was nothing more than bait for an elaborate trap. But there was the very slim chance that whoever had sent the message may be telling the truth. If Angora indeed was the one that had been supplying the gangs with his weapons, this might be the break he was looking for. To finally stop innocents from getting killed, and break the back of the weapons supplier once and for all. Could he risk passing this information up? But there were two not so simple problems. One, Wade would never go for this at all. Wade was the type of person to look a gifted horse in the mouth to make sure it was on the up and up. And two, he was just now getting the use of his legs back. If he were to take the suit out himself, he could risk breaking his legs again or cause even greater damage to them. What was he going to do?

* * *

Galatea was standing in the darkened bedroom of the fortress, and she was looking at the entrance and into the rest of the lighted areas through her yellow visor. Kal was waiting for her on the other side, and he almost looked as anxious as she was. It was time to see if the solar suit was doing its job and helping her eyes heal. She was tired of having to wear these dopey things, and sick and tired of so much as a dim flashlight blinding her. And Kal was doing his best to put up with her moods. She really, really didn't deserve a guy like him.

"Anytime you're ready." Kal said to her.

"What if this doesn't work? What if my eyes aren't getting better?" she asked him.

"Then we'll find a way to deal with it." Kal said to her.

"Don't you ever get tired of looking at the brighter side of things?" Galatea asked herself as she removed the visor and closed her eyes. "Okay, Kal. Do it." She said.

Within moments, she heard the windows in the bedroom begin to open. She could tell that sunlight was already pouring into the room, but the didn't help the anxiety she felt in the pit of her stomach. She took a deep breath and decided to do this like it was a band-aid, fast and easy. Balling up her unused fist, she quickly opened her eyes and screamed at the intensive pain she felt in her eyes as everything went white! She fell to her knees as she covered her eyes with her hands and tried to block out the burning bright light. She could feel Kal wrap his arms around her and try to move her to the bed as best as he could while she felt something was placed on her face.

"The windows are closed. Can you open your eyes?" he asked her as she felt his arms wrap around her once more.

"Let me try." She said as she slowly began to open her eyelids a little at a time. A few fresh tears fell as she tried to let them focus, and saw everything was slightly tinted with a faint yellow hue. Kal had placed the visor back on her face. "The solar suit isn't working, is it?" she asked him.

"With the rest of your powers, it's working perfectly. But your eyes," Kal said as he trailed off.

"I'm going to be blind for the rest of my life." Galatea said to herself as she popped her jaw.

"I didn't say that. For some reason, your eyes are taking longer to heal than they should. I don't if it's because of how much I had to alter your DNA or what. It's just, going to take longer than I thought it would be." Kal said.

"I hate this. I really hate this!" Galatea said as she got up and walked to the closed windows. She was so angry at that moment that her breathing was coming out in huffs as her muscles began to tense up all at once. She was so angry that she didn't know what to do. "Do you know how frustrating this is, Kal? I used to see halfway across the damn country! I could see things just by focusing that humans need a microscope with! Hell, I could even tell if someone had a broken bone or not! Now I can't even look into a fridge without going blind! I'M NOTHING MORE THAT SOME DAMN CRIPPLE!" Galatea shouted.

"No you're not!" Kal shouted at her, surprising her slightly. "MY God, look at what you've done! You've saved lives! Can a cripple stand up to a boat loaded with gunman? Can a cripple break through a wall and stop a man from hurting a woman? Can a cripple fly into space if they felt like it? God damn it, Galatea. I've done my best to try and help you, and given the fact I'm a novice with some of the machinery in this place; I think it's a miracle you're even breathing right now! Let alone still retaining your powers!" Kal shouted as he tried to take a deep breath.

"Frustrating. You don't think I understand frustrating? I grew up on a world where we could activate machines with just a thought. I spent the last few remaining years of my childhood on another planet that was once a frozen wasteland. Now everything that I'm used to, everything I know, is gone and I'm stuck here on this world! My God, it feels like I'm in the damn stone age sometimes with everything being so primitive! The only way I didn't go crazy is because of Kara and this place! Now with her gone, I'm doing my best to cope with the face that I'm the last of my kind now! Or that I was – until I met you." He said as he looked at Galatea and saw how confused she was. "I might not know what it's like to be blind, but I know how frustrating it is to try and – cope with something you're not ready for." He said to her.

"Wow. Our first real fight." Galatea said as she bit her lower lip and began too feel something like a horse's ass.

"It'd be nice if it was our last fight." He said as he began to feel guilty for loosing his temper at her. "I'm sorry, Galatea. I'm doing my best to help you, and it feels like something's ripping my heart out every time I see that your in pain or upset. It feels like I'm always failing you." He said to her.

Galatea walked over to where Kal was standing, and wrapper her arms around his neck as she gently placed her forehead against his. She gently captured his lips in a soft kiss before looking at him in the eyes.

"Kal, I'm very grateful for everything you've done for me. You've done more for me than anyone else, and I keep feeling like I don't deserve it." She said to him.

"You're worth the trouble." He said to her.

"Thanks." She said and kissed him again, letting the kiss last longer. "I'm sorry for being so stubborn and pig headed."

"It's one of the things I like about you." He said to her as they kissed again, and began to feel their passions begin to rise. His hands were already slipping under the robe she was wearing when the computers began to beep. Both groaned to themselves and as they broke free from each other and walked back into the main chamber of the fortress. "There's several tenement fires in Detroit." Kal said.

"A hero's work is never done." Galatea said, already in her solar suit and attaching the cape to her uniform. "I'll be home as soon as I can. Then we can go back to what we were doing." She said as she kissed Kal one more time and firmly grabbed his ass as she did so. With one final smirk, Galatea flew up and out of the fortress and made her way back to the United States.

"What a woman." Kal said to himself with a smile.

* * *

It took a little effort and a few course corrections, but he was able to find the penthouse the map had mentioned. After a few moments of calculating the figures in his head, the Man of Steel was able to make a gentle landing on the balcony of the penthouse apartment and found the door wide open and waiting for him. Inside the dimly lit bedroom, he could see someone laying on the bed in a silk nightgown. He didn't need any more light to tell him who it was on the bed. He knew the curves of that body almost like the back of his own hand.

"I didn't want to believe it. I kept telling myself over and over that it wasn't true." He said to the woman as he stepped inside. The woman rose to her feet and walked to the man like cat that was stalking its prey. A large smile appeared on her full lips as she took in the sight in front of her.

"As I live and breathe. John Henry Irons, it is you in there." She said to him.

"Angora." He breathed as the memories of their past together came flooding back. All the hours they spent developing projects, the romance that bloomed from spending so much time together. Even the day he proposed seemed to hurt like a flaming hot knife through his heart as he saw that his former fiancée was indeed the one selling his weapons to gangs. Some of them weren't even out of school yet.

"Why, Angora? You're selling my BG-60's out on the streets." He said to her as she began to rub her hands against his armored torso.

"BG-60's? Oh, John. Don't you know half the romance in selling a product is in the name? People pay out the nose for Toastmasters. A bloody fortune, Johnny. Worth more than twice a king's ransom."

"But you're selling them to kids, Angora. Some of them aren't even fourteen yet, and they're killing each other. What's worse, innocent people are getting caught in the crossfire." John said as she reached up and slowly slipped the helmet off of his head.

"Johnny, you designed the thing. What else do you think a gun is used for? And that means you're as much responsible for all those people dying as I am. Of course, for old times sake, I am willing to share my profit." She said to him as her lips began inching closer John's. She was even wearing the same perfume that would make John's head swim. There nights when he wanted to taste those lips one more time. To hold her and feel her in his arms. "What do you say, Johnny? Want to give it another go?" she said as their lips were only a few mere centimeters from touching.

"NO!" John shouted and pushed her away from him. "I told you, Angora. What I'd seen in Qurac, and what it had done to me." He said to her as he picked his helmet back up and placed it over his head. I didn't know what I was doing when I designed those weapons. Maybe I didn't want to know. But you knew why I destroyed everything. Why I decided to drop out of sight after what I saw." He said to her.

"And you should have done a better job at guarding those designs, John Henry. Do you know how simple it was to copy all those files from your computer?" she asked him as she sauntered back to her bed.

"You were the one that supplied my weapons to the Quarac rebels, weren't you?" he asked her. He had always suspected, but was never truly sure.

"Not alone, I wasn't. The head Amertek was interested in buying those designs, but he wanted proof. He also needed an excuse to go in and capture all those oil fields for the people financing his company and friends on Capitol Hill. What better excuse to finally invade than to stop of blood thirsty terrorists?" she asked him.

"So you help slaughter innocent woman and children just to satisfy your greed?" John Henry demanded.

"It's a very profitable business, Johnny. I'm making more supplying gangs than I was when I was supplying the government. And I'm not planning on stopping any time soon." Angora said as she sat on a large, plush loveseat and draped her arm across the back of it.

"Wrong, Angora. I might have opened Pandora's Box, but I'm going to make sure I put every single demon I created back in it. Starting by dragging your sick, albino ass to jail." John Henry growled as his grip on the large hammer he was carrying began to tighten.

"Like hell you are."

John had been so anxious about seeing his ex-fiancée again and what she may be implicated in that he had forgotten to use the sensors in the suit to check to see if she had any weapons hidden. If he had, he would have seen the small and very powerful bazooka she had hidden behind the large loveseat. The one that Angora had reached for, and fired directly at John Herny Irons.

* * *

"What the hell?" Wade asked himself as he heard several alarms go off. He had gone to bed to try and relax the sore muscles from the fire fight he had gotten in at the bridge earlier. Apparently, he hadn't rested long enough as he felt just about every muscle in his body scream in agony as he got up and went into the lab. At first, he was worried that something had gone wrong in the fabrication of the new suit, but all the systems were reading normal. In fact, the fabrication was almost completely finished. So what was going wrong?

It only took him a few moments for his brain to realize that the alarms were coming from the computers that were monitoring the systems of the original suit. Which was missing! The suit was gone, and Dr. John Henry Irons was no where to be found! Wade quickly ran to the system monitors and saw that all the sensors were off-line! Wade recalled the data it had recorded and saw that the sensors went off-line after a massive heat spike and something had hit the torso.

"What the hell is going on?" Wade asked himself.

* * *

He didn't recall much. One minute, he was standing in a high rise apartment with a woman he thought he knew. The next incident, he found himself hurtling through the air, and crashed into an fuel truck that had exploded once he hit it. Despite the force of the explosion, he could tell that he was still inside the fuel tank that was being toed. But his helmet wasn't completely secured to the rest of the suit, he couldn't activate the air filters or oxygen mask. He was feeling the dark smoke filling and burning his lungs. Every cough felt like he was trying to vomit gravel as he tried to find a way out. The massive flames were also heating the suit as well. The suit had lost power, none of the built-in servos or sensors were working. That blast must have hit the soft spot in the armor he hadn't had a chance to repair. He had already cheated death once, but to only die like this? He couldn't, not now! There were too many things he had to do. Too many things he had to repent for.

"SWEET JESUS, THAT'S HOT!" a very young voice screamed as he felt himself yanked out of the inferno and onto the street. He could feel the suit's armor begin to cool in the night air as his body his best to expel the smoke he had inhaled. As he slowly began to regain his normal breathing back, he looked up to see the person who had saved him was the young Supergirl who claimed to be Superwoman's clone. But something was wrong. She had her gloves removed and was blowing on her hands hard enough that thin sheets of ice were actually forming over her palms. "Oh God! That was really, really HOT!" the young girl shouted as she tried to ease the pain in her red hands.

"I – I thought you were - were a clone – o-of Superwoman." Steel said in-between deep breaths.

"I'm also going through puberty, you know. For all you know, my powers might go nuts when I have my period." She said she began flexing her hands again.

"Or maybe that the sun isn't out?" he asked her, remembering how he found out that Superwoman's powers came from the solar radiation of their sun.

"What? Oh! R-right." She said, as if that fact had never occurred to her before.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Steel asked the young clone.

"I felt bad about what happened earlier today."

"Earlier?" Steel asked.

"Yeah, at the bridge." The girl said as she put her burnt gloves back on and began to look like a whipped puppy. "You were right, and I didn't mean to hurt anyone. So I – I came to apologize. But then I saw you crash in – say, what happened to you, anyway?" she asked him.

"Angora!" Steel said and looked back to the apartment he had just been blown out of. "My rockets are out. Can you give me a lift to that penthouse?" he asked the young girl.

"Sure." Supergirl said as she hooked Steel under his arms and flew him back to the apartment he had just been in not too long ago.

As soon as they had touched down onto the balcony, Steel rushed into the bedroom to find nothing. The drawers had been pulled out their places in the dresser and emptied, as well as many other things. He knew there was no point in trying to find her. She was long gone by now, as was his chance to finally stop his guns from falling into the wrong hands. John Henry's teeth were grinding together as he felt like he just wanted to scream and shout to the heavens and curse out God for everything horrible thing that had ever happened to him in his life.

"I'm guessing you're late for a date?" the girl asked, unsure on what was going on at that moment.

"The woman that was in here is the one supplying the guns those gang bangers had." He said to her.

"She what?"

"You heard me. And don't blame yourself too much for what happened today. I – I know too well how you feel. I designed those guns years ago, and she stole the design." Steel said as the girl looked at him in stunned silence. "That pilot's blood is just as much on my hands as it is on yours."

"That's why you're doing this? To stop those guns?" she asked him.

"That's part of the reason. The other is that I'm doing this in honor of the woman who saved my life. I've got a second chance, and I want to make it count." He said to her as he walked back out onto the balcony and just stood there for several moments. Neither of them knew what to say or do, just stood there in stunned silence. After several minutes had passed, the young woman couldn't think of anything to say except,

"You need a lift?"

* * *

In the vast distance of space, only a few miles short of Saturn's orbit, something strange began to happen. All seemed quiet at first. After all, no one can hear a scream in space. But if the laws of science could be bent, and sound were possible in the void of space, what would be the sound of thunder times to the power of ten would be heard. Right before the sound of an echoing sonic boom would erupt as a large ship of alien design returned to normal space. In our measurement of time, it had been traveling in narrow passages of subspace for many months. Inside the star vessel, various aliens and robotic organisms were working at a fast pace to make sure everything was still in working order as the overheated engines were rushed to being cooled from their overuse.

In the command center of the entire ship, a large being sat in the captain's chair that was positioned on an elevated platform in the center of the command room. From his position, he almost seemed to be like a giant or a demon God scowling over his followers. His piercing red eyes glared at all the aliens that he considered lower life forms and inferior to him. His knuckles were popping as he placed his large yellow hands together.

"**What's our status?"** his low baritone voice asked.

"We have successfully exited our hyper jump into the Sol system. We are an estimated four rotations away from our destination." One of the small, fur-covered aliens reported from his console.

"**That's not good enough! We are behind schedule!" **the massive being growled as he stood to his full height, causing the small alien to cower before him. **"Increase speed to the engine's limits. We must be on time!"**

"But sire," another alien, looking more like a giant slug, spoke. "If we put that much strain on the engines now, we risk a core rupture." The alien said. The large being grabbed the alien by his throat and began to squeeze, his large fingers actually tearing the soft flesh of its neck and drawing it's dark violet blood.

"**Did I ask your opinion, worm? My orders will be obeyed. Those who do not obey me, shall meet with an agonizing death. As you are about to find out."** The massive being growled as he closed his fist, and crushed the creature's esophagus as arterial spray hit the large alien in the face. When the blood stopped pumping, the large alien let the corpse fall to the floor. **"All engines at full power at once."**

"Yes, sire!" the fur covered alien replied and went straight back to his console.

"Lord, our sensors have detected a strange device orbiting one of the planet's moons." A gray, scale covered alien said.

"**How strange?"**

"It appears to be a primitive data recorder. Sensors report it has a visual recording device within it as well."

"**DESTROY IT! THE HUMANS MUST NOT KNOW WE'RE HERE!"**

"At once, Lord." The alien said as their port side weapons came on-line and eradicated the satellite, turning it nothing more than scrap garbage to float across space. "The terran monitoring device is destroyed, sire. But what if the humans already know we're here?"

"**It doesn't matter. Their world's champion lays rotting, and they're open for the taking. If they try to fight against us, I will drink my wine from each and every skull of every man, woman, and child that opposes us."** The large alien said as he sat in his chair, and began to chuckle as he imagined the horror, chaos, and bloodshed that waited for the Earth's people. He would enjoy the carnage he had planned for them. Soon, Earth will be nothing more than a memory of a living hell.

* * *

A fresh start on a beautiful day. This was exactly what the doctor ordered. It had been a week since gang war at the bridge, and the young Supergirl had been doing her best on trying to learn from her mistakes. She had been listening more, trying to make sure no innocent bystander was in the way whenever she was trying to stop a crime that was in progress, and making sure she didn't screw up. After scarfing down a breakfast of cold Nacos and several bottles of water, she decided to go on patrol around the city. She was also trying to figure out what was wrong with her appetite. Ever since she broke out of that maturation chamber, or as some would call it her birth, the one kind of food she craved the most was tex-mex. It was so strange, but something in her made her almost desire the spicy concoctions. Even more so if they were smothered with diablo sauce. In everything she had researched about Superwoman, and everything Cadmus had put in her head, there wasn't anything about the Maiden of Steel liking Mexican food. How strange was that?

As Supergirl began making her way over Suicide Slum, a slender figure that had been hiding in the shadows kept a close eye on her. For almost a week, she had been tracking the young so-called super heroine. Following her patrol routes and trying to make a record of her routines, knowing exactly where she'd be and when. In a few minutes, she would be over a deserted part of the slum that a developer had bought weeks ago. The buildings were cleared, most of the blocks were already torn down to make way for whatever would be put in their place. The perfect place where innocents wouldn't be harmed.

"Okay, bitch. Time for me to rip that symbol of your flat chest." The slender figure said as it she withdrew and unfolded a strange boomerang and pressed the button that was in its center. Her eyes narrowed as she began to make the calculations in her head, added the wind speed, and threw it!

The young Supergirl heard something hurtling toward her, and fast! What was it? She quickly stopped and caught the flying object inches before it would have struck her in the head. She looked at the strange thing she had caught and began to wonder what it was. It was metal, and completely smooth and it was black with a high polish. It looked almost like it was a boomerang and a throwing star in one, but it was shaped like a large bat. That's when she heard something coming from inside the device. As she flipped it over in her hands, she saw a little red LED light blinking and beeping. And it was getting faster.

"Ah, cra"

The explosion that followed engulfed her in a tremendous blast of heat as it echoed across the emptied neighborhood. The figure in the shadows smiled as she saw the petite form of the Supergirl tumbling from the mid-air fireball and down to the street several stories below. What puzzled her though was that it seemed that the young girl was shouting something as she fell to the ground. As the young, cloaked figure stepped out of the shadows and deployed her grappler, she couldn't help but wonder what the girl was shouting.

"THAT'S TOO FREAKING HOT!" the young heroine screamed as she felt the flames burn through her jacket and possibly through her uniform as well. Supergirl crashed into the street with a loud thud, creating a small crater in the abandoned street while a small cloud of smoke rose from where she had fallen.

She was a bit dazed as she stood to her feet. She wasn't expecting that thing to explode on her. As she looked herself over, she saw that her black leather jacket had several holes burned into it as well as several blackened charred spots on her uniform. She was really starting to get angry as she noticed all the damage she had sustained and popped her neck. It was time to find the idiot who did this to her and shove one of those exploding boomerangs up their ass. She was about to take to the air when she saw several more embed themselves into the ground all around her. And all of them were beginning to beep wildly.

"You've got to be kidding me." The young heroine said to herself as each of the boomerangs exploded violently around her. Extreme heat and chucks of debris were sent flying into the air and all around the block. As thick, dark smoke now rose from the enlarged and burnt crater, the figure that had been hiding in the shadows stepped out onto the street and smirked at her handiwork. The joy of victory was short lived as she heard footsteps approaching her from the smoke, and saw a silhouette coming out from the smoke. "Okay. Now I'm really PISSED OFF!" the young girl shouted as she emerged from the crater. Her leather jacket was now in ruins as various places in her uniform were burned away and exposing skin.

"Blowing me up was one thing. BUT THAT WAS MY ONLY JACKET, YOU ASSHOLE!" the young girl screamed. As she finally saw her attacker, one eyebrow rose in confusion at what she saw. It was obviously a woman, since the suit that doubled as armor did nothing to hide her figure or athletic build. A long black clock hung from her shoulders, but what caught her eye was the large bat that was on her chest and the cowl with pointed ear pieces. "Batgirl? What the hell? I thought you were a good guy." Supergirl said.

"I am one of the good guys. And I'm here to stop you from shaming that symbol anymore than you already have, bitch." Batgirl said as her body tensed as she tossed several small spheres at the redhead in front of her.

The spheres exploded against Supergirl's skin, surrounding the redheaded wonder in a cloud of chloroform gas. From within the gas cloud, Supergirl began spinning faster and faster until the cloud dissipated harmlessly. Supergirl glared at Batgirl with an ugly sneer crossing her face as she balled her fists. Batgirl tensed even more so as they both glared at each other.

"In case you haven't heard, I'm Superwoman. And you don't mess with the S!" Supergirl said as she flew at Batgirl with breakneck speed, grasping her waist in a tight bear hug.

Batgirl couldn't catch a steady breath as they were flying down the street faster then they human eye could follow. She didn't know what this little media slut was planning, but she had to get out of the bear hug she was in. Reaching for her belt once more, she was able to grab a small slab of a strange looking lump of clay and slapped it against Supergirl's lower back. Before Supergirl could find out what Batgirl was up to, she felt the masked vigilante grasp her belt buckle firmly as the lump of clay exploded. The blast made Supergirl let g of the masked young woman as she crashed into the street beneath her, shattering various parts of the street before she skidded to a stop while Batgirl tumbled and rolled back onto her feet.

"Your S is mine." Batgirl said as she saw the young red head stand to her feet.

"At first, I thought you were just stupid to try and take me on." Supergirl said as she popped her back and winced when she felt the burn mark the explosive had left. "Now I can see that you're just suicidal. And I'm going to enjoy breaking every bone in your body." She said as she zoomed in with a right cross aimed at Batgirl's head. Supergirl was dumbfounded when she saw the masked girl dodge her swing and jump completely over her head! For a moment, Supergirl could have almost sworn that the girl had been glowing blue for a minute.

"I doubt you could even land a finger on me, slut." Batgirl said a she landed and placed a swift and hard kick into the burned area of Supergirl's back. The redheaded teen let out a small scream before fell to the ground and did her best to not let the pain get to her as she stayed on her hands and knees.

"Last time I checked, Superwoman wasn't vulnerable to fire. But it seems that you are. So the only thing I need to kick your ass with is a five cent book of matches." Batgirl said as she launched herself into the air with her foot aimed for the middle of Supergirl's back.

Supergirl heard Batgirl falling towards her and quickly rolled out of the way. As soon as Batgirl's feet touched ground, Supergirl smashed her in the face with a left haymaker, sending the caped teen flying across the street, and through the door of an old apartment building before hitting the wall hard enough to go halfway through it. It had been a good thing her suit had armor and padding it. But armored battle suit or not, she felt like she had just been hit with a bulldozer going as fast as a bullet train. As she fell to the ground and looked up, she saw Supergirl glaring at her from the doorway. And even from her present angle, you could tell that the young woman was royally pissed off.

"Who the hell died and made you an authority on what Superwoman can or can't do?" Supergirl demanded.

"I know a hell of a lot more about her than you do. I knew Superwoman my whole life. And you are nothing like her. You're nothing - just a cheap knock off. A fraud!" Batgirl growled as she stood to her feet.

"Shut up." Supergirl said as she balled her fists tightly. Her breathing began to become heavier as her temper slowly began to start boiling.

"Can't handle the truth, huh? Just face it, freak! You're not even a decent clone of her. You're nothing but a cheap, lousy, two-bit copy who just turns everything into a steaming pile of crap as soon as you touch it."

"I said shut – up!" Supergirl growled as her right eye began to twitch and her breathing become even heavier. Batgirl just slowly tried to maneuver herself to where she could get another set of chloroform gas pellets in.

"Not even the lab that created you wants a piece of trash like you. Who can blame them? Instead of being a hero, all you've done is make a jack ass out of yourself and got several innocent people hurt. Oh, that's right. You also got that pilot killed just so you could have your little fifteen minutes of fame, you media slut!"

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" the young girl began screaming. **"I SAID SHUT UP!"** Supergirl scream as pale green energy erupted from her hands and completely destroyed the walls next to her and blew through several of the buildings next to the one they were in on either side. After a few moments of suffering the devastating energy blasts, several of the buildings came tumbling down in a massive cloud of dust and debris that blanketed the abandoned block. When the dust cloud cleared, both Supergirl and Batgirl were looking at each other in wide eyed shock.

Both stood rooted to where they were in stunned silence. The holes she had burned through the walls were still giving off smoke from the intense energy blast she had just created while she slowly looked at the damage she had caused. Batgirl didn't know what to think. In everything she could study about the young girl, nothing ever mentioned or even gave of the slightest hint that she had the ability to emit energy blasts. Supergirl herself didn't know what to think as she slowly lifted her hands and looked at them. Her gloves had been completely burned away, as well as part of the sleeves of her uniform. But even though she was vulnerable to fire, her skin was unharmed. They didn't even have a smudge or a scratch on them. What the hell did Cadmus do to her while she had been there?

"What the hell am I?" Supergirl asked herself as she kept starring at her hands.

Supergirl was still in such of state of shock that only Batgirl noticed the four gas pellets that rolled into the room with them. Batgirl knew what they were, but wasn't fast enough to get them out before they deployed the gas that had been kept inside of them. Batgirl tried to hold her breath as she saw Supergirl actually cough and begin to sub come to the gas. She could feel her lungs burn as they desired for fresh air as she saw Supergirl pass out and fall to the ground, but Batgirl did her best to fight it. She wasn't going to fall for a cheap stunt like this. As she felt her face begin to turn purple, she saw an all too recognizable silhouette emerge in the gas cloud that filling the room. Dread began to fill her as the large bat shaped shadow came closer to her and stopped when it was practically on top of her and could hear the deep breaths of the gas mask it was wearing like the pace of doom.

"The knock out gas has a minimal level of Kryptonite in it. Something I developed in case of an emergency." The rough voice of the silhouette in front of her said as it placed a respirator over her face. Batgirl immediately took in a deep breath of fresh air as she was lead outside by the strong hand that was pushing on her back. Once out in the open, she turned and saw Batman carrying Supergirl over her shoulder and gently lay her on the street as he removed a vial of smelling salts from his belt.

"She's vulnerable to fire. And Kryptonite doesn't work. I had,"

"You had the small piece Superwoman gave me years ago. I know. But I couldn't take the chance." He said as he opened the small vile and began to pass it back and forth under the young girl's nose. "Are you all right?" he asked the girl.

"W-what – am I?" she asked him.

"Unique." Was all he said as he helped her back up. "Right now, both of you should be ashamed of yourselves." He said as he glared at the two girls in front of him.

"She – she started it." Supergirl said as she tried to regain her bearings.

"But you tried to finish it. And you should have known better, Batgirl!" Batman said as he turned his gaze to his young sidekick. "You swore to uphold and enforce the law. Not to take it into your own hands! What if innocent bystanders had been here?"

"This place has been deserted for weeks. I made sure,"

"What about construction workers? Vagrants? Or even just kids playing? You can't predict those factors! If any people had been here, their injuries would have been your fault!" Batman growled at her.

"Way to go, Batman." Supergirl said to herself.

"Don't you even start." Batman said. "If you plan on wearing that symbol, you better shape up."

"But she started this whole thing! All I did was just fly by!"

"But you should have been smart enough to walk away. Instead, you tried to give as good as you got. That symbol you wearing is carrying a legacy that the entire world cares about. It stands for honor, and hope! It's a symbol of trust! If you want to wear it, then you had better prove you deserve it!" Batman growled. "Let's go, Batgirl. We'll finish this when we get back to Gotham." Batman growled as Supergirl started to mentally slap herself again.

"Look, does it help if I say I'm sorry? Batman?" Supergirl asked and saw that she was standing in the street by herself. There was no sign of either Batman or Batgirl anywhere. "How do they do that?" Supergirl asked herself before taking off into the air.

* * *

"How's the visor holding up?" Kal asked Galatea over the communications link he had opened. She has seemed really depressed since it looked like her eyes hadn't improved that much. He had been trying to help as much as he could, so he tried to create a new visor for her to wear. But given how frail her eyes were to light, there wasn't that much he could do for her. He just hoped what modifications he did make were enough for right now.

"_I'm doing fine, Kal. I don't know what you did to these, but it's a vast improvement. Everything isn't as tented as it was, but the light isn't hurting my eyes. Thanks."_

"Any time, Galatea. How late are you staying out, tonight?"

"_Metropolis is pretty quiet with four Superwomen patroling the place. I might head out to Coast City for a little bit."_

"Coast City? Why would you want to go all the way out to California?" Kal asked her.

"_From what I've been overhearing,"_

"You mean eavesdropping?" Kal teased.

"_Knock it off."_ Galatea said, acting like she was offended. _"As I was saying, it sounds like Green Lantern is out on some deep space mission for now. I figure I might lend a helping hand out there until he gets back."_

"Why not let the other two Lanterns on Earth handle it?"

"_I think the one called Stewart is busy with the Justice League. And that Guy Gardner is a real dick."_

"You always do speak your mind about things, don't you?"

"_And that's what you love about me."_ Galatea responded.

"Just be careful out there. And let me know if you need any help."

"_Will do. Talk to you later, Kal."_ Galatea said and cut the transmission.

Kal just smiled as he went back to work on monitoring other events in the world. If something major happened, he might need to call Galatea back and let her know in a heartbeat. He just wished he had some contact with the Justice League. Right now, Kal figured they didn't know what to think about Galatea trying to fill Superwoman's shoes. And the only one on their side was Wonder Woman, but Kal thought that was because Galatea had fought her to a stand still.

Kal's train of thought was quickly shattered as a strange alarm began to go off. Something inside the Fortress was wrong, and Kal didn't have any idea what it was. Kal quickly began accessing various systems in the fortress to try and figure out what was happening, hoping it wasn't something he couldn't happen. As Kal began looking into various sub routines, he soon found what was happening. As he saw what was happening before him, his eyes began to grow wide.

"Oh, great Rao." He said to himself in shock. "FORTRESS DROIDS!" Kal screamed as he ran to the center of the fortress and began accessing a hidden control panel.

"How may we be of service?" one droid asked as it descended from the ceiling, followed by two more floating humanoid droids.

"There's a systems failure in the matrix. I need your help stabilizing it." Kal said.

"We are aware of the situation. All other droids are working on the problem." One of the other droids said while a large tank began to rise from the floor in the center of the fortress. Four other droids were examining and trying to repair various sections of the tank as it continued to rise while Kal quickly returned to the main computer. As soon as the tank was finished rising, Kal saw that the figure within the strange blue-green that filled the tank was beginning to slightly struggle.

"If we can't stabilize the matrix, we're going to loose the occupant." Kal said to the droids as they joined the others that were working on the large tank. "Is there a block in the power flow? Or has one of the devices shorted out?" Kal asked them.

"Negative, sir."

"Then what's wrong?" Kal asked himself as he tried to figure out why the matrix was failing.

"Sir, the matrix is failing because its programming is ordering it to." One droid said.

"Do what?" Kal asked them.

"The matrix has served its purpose. The occupant is beginning to awaken." The droid said.

"You mean – she's waking up?" Kal asked as he looked at the tank again, and saw the figure inside beginning to move and struggle more on their own accord. "She's trying to breath. With the matrix shut down - there's no more oxygen in the liquid. SHE'S SUFFOCATING! EMERGENCY RELEASE!" Kal said as he ran toward the tank.

"But quarantine protocols,"

"Screw the protocols! LET HER OUT!" Kal screamed as he ran toward the tank as he saw the figure struggling more.

Not knowing what to do, Kal balled his fist as he ran toward the tank as fast as he could. With one loud scream of frustration, Kal landed his fist as hard as he could against the glass of the tank and saw the spider-web cracks emerge and begin to spread across the entire tank. Within seconds, the glass gave way as the massive amount of liquid spilled across the floor and with the force of it almost pushing Kal down. Kal maintained his balance against the gushing liquid as he reached in and grasped the nude figure inside the tank firmly and rushed her to the medical bay of the fortress. He quickly placed her on a bed and wrapped a blanket around the figure as they began to cough and wheeze.

"It's going to be okay. It's all right." Kal said as he wrapped the blanket around them tightly as the figure began to vomit the strange liquid out of their lungs and began to inhale gasps of air. Kal let out a sigh of relief as their color began to become more of a normal flesh tone as their breathing began to return to normal.

"W-where?" the figure wheezed before going into another coughing fit.

"Your safe." Kal said and used the blanket to wipe the liquid out of her eyes and off of her face. The weak figure in his arms blinked several time against the bright light of the medical bay before they were able to open them fully. The first thing the figure's emerald eyes saw was that of a very relieved Kal.

"K-Kal-El?" she asked him weakly.

"As they say on Earth, welcome back to the land of the living." He said with a chuckle.

* * *

Inside the orbiting Watchtower that hovered in space, J'onn was monitoring various activities around the world. J'onn still hadn't fully recovered from his injuries from Doomsday yet, and chose monitor duty with Mr. Terrific. With the League as expanded as it had become, and the death of Kim, J'onn had lost most of his interest in being among Earth's population. At least he had some measure of piece and quiet while he was in the Watchtower. He began checking on various heroes that were on League business when something psychically like a ton of bricks. He hadn't been expecting it and at first was in complete shock as he felt. His eyes widened to the size of saucers as his whole body seemed to freeze at once. Mr. Terrific was scared that J'onn was having some kind of Martian caesurae.

"J'onn? J'onn!" he said, but received no response from the Martian. "Mr. Terrific to medical personal. I have an emergency on the bridge!" Mr. Terrific said as he activated the comm system.

"No! No, I'm fine." J'onn said as still gasped for air.

"Fine, my ass! It looked like you couldn't breath!"

"No. I felt a presence on Earth. One that shouldn't even be there. I can't explain it any other way." J'onn said.

"You mean a threat?" Mr. Terrific asked him.

"No, a miracle." J'onn said as he looked at his fellow super hero. "She's alive."


	9. Reunions

REIGN

By FAH3

Lois couldn't help but whistle as she entered the large Catholic cathedral. As she gazed at the high arched ceilings, she couldn't help but feel more like she was entering a large gothic castle than she was a house of worship. And at the end of the room, in between two high podiums was a large alter with a giant painted statue of Jesus crucified on the cross. Los wasn't heavily religious, but she did go to church when she could. But she could remember being a little girl growing up, and being scared of the large crucifix statues that were in some of the large churches. Since she was an army brat, most of the churches she went to consisted of a small room of a house or a mess tent with a cross and a soldier with a white collar. But being in a place like this would usually make her more scared of God than in awe of him. One of the reasons she didn't go to church that often. Too many "Men of the Cloth" focused on how much of a screw up you were that you were going to go to hell no matter what you do.

"Can I help you?" a man in his late thirties asked as he stepped out of the confessional. He was wearing a black T-shirt and slacks, was holding a small bible in his hands, and had a white band in the collar of his shirt.

"Father Bishop?" Lois asked him.

"Yes?"

"I'm Lois Lane, from the Daily Planet. I called earlier about the piece I'm doing on the Superwoman cults?" she asked as they shook hands.

"I remember. I was a little surprised to receive your call, though." The priest said.

"I'm interviewing various people in the religious community to get their take on the recent cults that have been growing in number. I've already interviewed Rabbi Stein, and he suggested I talk to you."

"Yes, Roger and I are good friends. I must admit, I've reluctantly taken on the role as the main shepherd here. But so far, everyone seems to be satisfied with the work I'm trying to do." Father Bishop said. "Would you mind if we did this interview at the coffee shop on the corner? It's been a long day, and the coffee pot I keep here recently bit the dust."

"Not at all." Lois said, with part of her being relieved to be in a setting that was less – biblical.

* * *

"Father Bishop, are you worried about these cults at all?" Lois asked as she sipped on her coffee.

"At first, I wasn't. But I assume you've heard the recent activity the SCU has had to deal with lately? The different factions fighting with each other?" Father Bishop asked her.

"Yes, I have. The cultists following the cyborg clashed with the ones that follow the young Supergirl. Several had to be hospitalized." Lois said.

"What I worry about is what will happen is that they may trty to fight people of other faiths. I mean, these people are trying to kill each other because of which one they think is Superwoman. What will happen if these cultists are near one of our church fundraisers? Or one of our festivals we throw?"

"You mean, you're worried that one of the cults might use violence against other religions?" Lois asked him.

"History is filled with such incidents. Look at the Crusades. Even during the time of the Roman Empire, early Christians were thrown to the lions for entertainment."

"But people are smarter than that now."

"Are they really Miss Lane?" Father Bishop asked her. "A person? Yes, a person is smart. But people gathered in a crowd can become frightened, stupid, and very easily driven to panic. Especially when their views on faith is questioned or challenged. Sometimes, faith is the only thing people have."

"Father," Lois began as she took another sip of her coffee. "Rabbi Stein mentioned something to me when I interviewed him. He had said that one of the priests at your church had joined one of the cults?" Lois asked him.

"I'm afraid so. The priest he was speaking of was Father Connery. He had been at our church for over thirty years before he joined the Cyborg cultists. In fact, our church would have been shut down ages ago if it hadn't been for his dedication and hard work." Father Bishop said.

"Thirty years, and he turned his back on his faith just like that?" Lois asked him.

"He didn't turn his back on it, Miss Lane. I'm not in support of these cults, but I think they made his faith stronger now than it ever was. As well as the belief of many Christians right now."

"Father, they're worshiping a fallen hero as a God. How is that strengthening Christianity?" Lois asked him.

"Miss Lane, our church was built to hold a maximum of five-hundred people. When Superwoman fought that monster, Doomsday; we had over seven-hundred gathered in our cathedral as they prayed for the monster to be stopped. And during her funeral, we had almost one thousand as they prayed for her soul in the afterlife."

"I still don't understand, Father." Lois said to him.

"Then look at it from our point of view; a shepherd tending to his flock. Our religion is based on the teachings and acts of a man who looked and appeared to be like everyone else. But he had fantastic abilities that no one else had. And instead of using them for himself, he used his abilities to help others and teach people by example on how to better themselves. And then, he died a horrible death for everyone in the world. People he had never met and never known. And miraculously, he rose from the grave and it has been written that he would one day return."

"Okay, so far I'm with you." Lois said, knowing the story about Jesus Christ.

"Now, in a time when people need hope and faith the most; a individual emerges that looks like one of us but has amazing abilities. Abilities that are far greater than those of mortal men and women. And instead of using them for her own gain, she used her powers to help others. She was so dedicated to helping people, that she too dies a horrible death for people she's never known or met. And without anything to suggest how or why, it would appear she has risen from the grave. And amazingly enough, four have appeared claiming to be her." Father Bishop said.

"You mean to tell me that a bunch of these people think that Superwoman was the return of Christ?"

"It's merely an idea, Miss Lane. But there is also another, even more frightening one."

"Which is?" Lois asked him.

"Many people believe that this is the time when the Apocalypse may happen. And in the book of revelations, it speaks of four horsemen that will arrive during this time. And in the wake of Superwoman's body going missing again, four people are claiming her symbol. Four, Miss Lane. If these are the four horsemen that the book of Revelations speak of, then we have to ask what kind of horrible hell on Earth awaits us in the future?" Father Bishop asked her.

As that thought entered her mind, Lois couldn't help but try and gulp down the lump she felt in her throat. The fear she felt as a child whenever the preachers would speak of Revelations seemed to return with a massive vengeance. Even the hands that was holding her warm cup of coffee began to quiver as she thought more and more about it.

"Thank you for your time, Father Bishop. I think I have more than enough for my article." Lois quickly said as she stopped her recorder, shook the priest's hand, and began to walk out of the coffee shop without a second glance.

As she stepped outside, she took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves. It wasn't any secret that, like everyone else, Lois was scared of death and the possibility of the end of the world. But with Father Bishop comparing Superwoman's death and supposed return like Christ and the book of Revelations, her fear seemed to skyrocket almost out of control. She hadn't been this scared since her father was shipped off to Desert Storm. Lois could feel herself trembling as she tried to wipe her hair out of her face as she leaned against the wall and began shuffling the items in her purse around.

"I picked one hell of a day to quit smoking." She said to herself as she tried to see that maybe a lone cigarette was resting at the bottom of her purse from a previous pack.

"Miss Lane?" Father Bishop asked as he stepped outside, causing Lois' heart to jump into her throat. "I didn't mean to scare you back there. But I just wanted to get my point across. Many of my parishioners have been asking me if these are the end times because of what I just said." Father Bishop said.

"I'm sorry for just walking out like that. You kind of freaked me out a little."

"I know. But I would appreciate for you to use your words wisely when you write your article. The last thing I want is to be responsible for a mass panic."

"Don't worry, Father. I've done this before." Lois said and gave up looking for a cigarette. "Can I ask you something, off the record?"

"Of course." Father Bishop said to her.

"Do you think these four super beings are the prelude to something else?" Lois asked him.

"Miss Lane, I have seen many things that just can't be explained. All I know is that the Lord works in mysterious ways. If something bad is coming, then maybe these four beings are his way of giving us a heads up. His way of telling us to be ready."

* * *

"I know what I sensed! As much time as we spent around each other, you should know better than this. Kim Possible is alive!" J'onn said as he confronted several of the founding members of the Justice League.

"J'onn, we've run scans for several hours. Not even Guy Gardner's power ring can find any sign of her. Maybe you were daydreaming." Josh said.

"Need I remind you that what you know as dreaming and day dreaming is completely different from how I dream?" J'onn asked as his eyes began to glow red.

"J'onn, it's just not possible. You were there when we retrieved her body from Cadmus, and you didn't sense anything. Why would she show no brain activity until now?" Diana asked her.

"You all forget that like me, Kim is not human. She may look like one down to the finest detail, but she is an alien. There are many we don't know about Kryptonian physiology. Including with her cells still full of solar radiation. And – I may have been wrong." J'onn said.

"What do you mean?" Shayera asked him.

"When we retrieved her body, I thought I sensed something. It was small, though. I had barley noticed it. Kim may have been trying to regain consciousness." J'onn said.

"But you're still not sure, are you?" Diana asked.

"In the Javelin, no. But I know what I sensed on the bridge. It wasn't a hallucination. Kim is alive." J'onn said.

"I think we should get some rest. We've been really busy in trying to fill the void since Kim passed away and trying to find out more about these four want-to-be heroes. Maybe we should just take a break." Monique said.

"Perhaps you're right. We do need some time to collect ourselves." J'onn said, tired of arguing in circles.

"Sounds good to me. Anyone want to join me in the cafeteria for a malt?" Josh asked.

"Maybe later, Josh." Shayera said as they all stood up to leave.

J'onn watched his friends leave the conference room one by one, making sure they were out of sight. As soon as he was sure he was by himself, he closed his eyes and began to concentrate. He hadn't tried to directly communicate with anyone in a while, so he hoped he wasn't rusty at it. This was too important.

* * *

Hanna had gone down these stairs into the bat cave so many times, that she wasn't sure she could count that high. And all those times, the lack of light or gloom of the passageway had never affected her in the least. But now, knowing that Ron was still upset with her, made it seem ominous. When they had returned, Ron had deleted any access Hanna had to the batcave and to her gear. Ron had known that grounding her like a normal teenager wouldn't work, so he had decided to forbid her from being Batgirl. But Ron didn't say for how long, which really had her nervous. Just to be in here now, she had to wait for Dick to leave. And that was another can of worms she was trying to fix.

Dick wasn't happy with her at all with being locked inside the cave. It turned out that Ron didn't arrive home to let him out for over eight hours. Dick had been giving her the silent treatment for two days before the finally began talking. If talking meant they were shouting at each other as loudly as they both possibly could. One of their arguments had gotten so bad that Barbara actually gotten hold of the water hose and hosed them down. Even now, Dick was still mad at her. Of course, the main thing she was worried about right now was how mad Ron still might be.

When she reached the bottom of the steps, she could see Ron sitting at the large computer. It looked like he was working on a few of his case files for the moment since it looked like he wasn't wearing his cape and cowl. Hopefully, that might be a good thing. Both Dick and Hanna had noticed that when Ron was angry, he wouldn't change out of the bat suit for hours. It looked like this wasn't so this time.

"You can stop hiding from me." Ron said to her.

"_I'm going to have to find out how he does that."_ Hanna though to herself, wondering how he knew she was already there. "What are you doing?" she asked him.

"Updating a case file." Ron said as Hanna walked up to stand beside him and read the data on the screen.

"Who's Baby Doll?" she asked him.

"That's her alias. Her real name is Marion Louise Dahl. She was an actress." Ron said.

"I've never heard of her before."

"Yes you have. She was on a popular sitcom called Love That Baby." Ron said to her.

"Oh yeah, I've seen the re-runs. Wasn't it a rip off of Denise the Menace, but with a girl?" Hanna asked him.

"More or less. When they wrote a character named cousin Spunky, she thought she was being replaced and quit."

"Shouldn't you update her picture?" Hanna asked as she saw the picture on file. The picture showed a very miserable nine-year old girl with several freckles on her cheeks and long blonde hair on the screen.

"That's her most recent mug shot." Ron said.

"What? That show was canceled nine years ago. She'd have to be about twenty now." Hanna said.

"Actually, she was eighteen when the show went off the air. She's twenty-seven now."

"But,"

"She suffers from a rare form of hypopituitarism. The condition has severely stunted her growth and left her looking like a child. She tried to find work after leaving Love That Baby, but she was typecast as her character Baby Doll. The only work she found was in a production of MacBeth that was widely panned by critics."

"What happened to her?"

"She tried to get her show back on the air, but all the networks turned her down. After that, she went into the cooperate office of the network that had originally created Love That Baby with a few guns and a bomb. I was able to stop her before anyone was killed. She was sentenced to a mental hospital after the court found her to be mentally unstable." Ron said.

"Did she escape?" Hannah asked.

"No, she was released. She's on probation right now, but I don't trust her."

"No offence, but you don't trust anyone." Hannah said.

"Lately, it looks like I have a reason not to trust anyone." Ron said as he turned to face her. "I still can't believe you went to Metropolis and did that."

"Ron,"

"There's no excuse for it, Hannah. She's young and inexperienced, but that was no reason for you to attack her like you did." Ron said.

"But she doesn't deserve to wear that symbol! She's a little freak that's doing this for the glory! She's no better than Booster Gold!"

"But that doesn't give us the right to play judge, jury, and executioner. You're my daughter Han, and I know you've got my temper and Yori's determination. How far were you going to take that fight?" Ron asked her.

"I,"

"You stole the Kryptonite I kept locked away. How far?"

"I – I don't know."

"Because you weren't thinking. You let your anger think for you." Ron said as he took a deep breath. "I thought you were ready to fight with me, but I was obviously wrong. Until I say so, Batgirl is dead."

"What?" Hanna asked him in shock.

"You heard me. I can't trust you out there anymore, you're actions proved that. Until I'm sure I can trust you again, Batgirl is no more." Ron said to her.

"You can't do that!" Hanna protested.

"Watch me!" Ron said.

"But she – she"

"She what, Hanna? You've been obsessing over this since Kim's body went missing. What are you going to do if make the clone stop? Go after the others?"

"No!"

"Then why her, Hanna? Why her?"

"BECAUSE SHE ISN'T MY MOM!" Hanna screamed as a very worried look came over Ron's face.

"What do you mean she's not your mom?"

"I mean Kim! I mean – for once just think about it, Ron! Whenever someone talks about their mom or dad, I think of you and Kim. And since you really are my dad -" Hanna said as tears began to fall.

"But what you did,"

"She has no right! I don't care what DNA says! Mom did too much for everyone! She died to save everyone! And that – that – poser has no right to ruin everything mom worked so hard for! For what she died for!" Hanna shouted as more and more tears began to fall and her crying became uncontrollable. "I WANT MY MOTHER BACK!" Hanna finally screamed as every emotional damn she had placed in her head finally broke and gave way.

It wasn't long before Ron was holding Hanna in his arms as she began to break down. Hanna had always been too much like him, even when it came to their feelings sometimes. He knew she had cried when he had gotten shot, but he couldn't recall her crying when Kim had been killed. He didn't know why, but she had chosen to be the strong one for their small family. And it looked like Hanna finally had all she could take.

"Just let it all out, Han." He whispered as he patted her back gently and held her tight.

"I miss her, dad. I miss her so much that it actually hurts." Hanna said as her breath began to catch in her throat from her crying. "It always feels like – like I'm broken. Or I'm the one that stupid monster pounded on. I want my mother back." Hanna said as she continued to cry.

"I know, Hanna. I want her back, too. More than you can ever know." Ron said to her as kissed the top of her head.

"_Ron, can you hear me?"_ J'onn's voice said inside his head.

"This is a bad time." Ron said out loud.

"What?" Hanna asked.

"It's J'onn."

"_Ron, this is important. You need to get to the North Pole."_ J'onn said.

"J'onn,"

"_Trust me, Ronald. You need to get to the North Pole. NOW!"_

Ron let out a deep sigh before answering him. "I'm on my way." Ron said as he let Hannah go. "I've got something I need to do. We'll talk more when I get back." Ron said to her.

"Okay." Hannah said as Ron went to go get changed.

* * *

"Are you sure about this, Miss Gough?"

"I'm positive." Sheila said as she and her mole descended deeper into the bowels of the massive complex of Cadmus Labs.

The entire facility itself was built deep underground, and composed of untold levels. Each deeper level had its own project, and almost every part of Cadmus dealt with genetics. The last time Sheila had been here, Cadmus only had a few underground levels. But that was when she was a teenager and a naïve hero. Now she was back as a hardened businesswoman, scorned lover, and still a villain in certain circles. But she wasn't here because these heartless government bastards had stolen her DNA. She came here to find out how her new employee, the Supergirl, was created.

The young clone told her about the sudden fight with Batgirl and the discovery of her new found powers. She took the ruined uniform the young heroine had worn and had it tested. Sure enough, the energy signature from the burned uniform was almost an identical match to hers. Cadmus had somehow given a Kryptonian clone not only immunity to Kryptonite, but also a way to generate its radiation like her body could. And there was only one man she knew who had experience in that field. She thought he had been arrested an imprisoned for tax evasion, but she had been wrong. It took a lot of digging, burning bridges, and a lot of bribes and threats, but she found him. And now, she was going to confront him for the first time in over ten years.

"If Mr. Harper finds out about this, I'll be eating my meals in a cell from now on." The mole said to himself.

"Calm down, already. As long as no one notices that you jammed the security systems, you'll be fine." Sheila said to him.

"Here we are." Her mole said as the elevator stopped, and the doors smoothly opened with a small hiss. What she saw in front of her was something she was all too familiar with.

"A detention block?" she asked.

"Not entirely. Some of the people that work with Cadmus require certain environments that the rest of the facility can't provide. Certain cells at Arkham Asylum for Gotham's more notorious were our first prototypes." The mole said.

"I'm guessing you're referring to Dr. Victor Freis?" Sheila asked.

"Among others." The mole said as they began to walk down the hall. Shego saw what she had assumed had been people at first. But when they entered the light their cells had, she could see she had been wrong. Some creatures looked almost like people you would see in a freak show. Others looked like they belonged in various science fiction films. She had no doubt that these were some of the DNAliens she had heard about.

"How much further?" she asked.

"Not much farther. In fact, here he is." The mole said as they came to a large glass like cell that seemed to be a combination of a lab and small sleeping quarters. The lab was lit, but the part of the cell that was for rest had the lights out. She could see something moving in there, but only a silhouette. Nothing definitive.

"Are you sure this is him?" Sheila asked.

"I'm positive." The mole said and activated the two-way comm system. "You have a guest." The mole said before backing away and letting Sheila step closer to the cell. From inside, a distorted chuckle arose. It was very horse, but also had another kind of strange distortion to it.

"I never expected to see your face ever again." The man inside the cell said.

"It has been a while. Hasn't it, Dr. D?" she asked.

"No one has called me that for years." the figure said as it stood, but remained in the shadows.

"Somehow, I knew you had a hand in creating her." she said.

"The little Supergirl? Of course I did. No matter what these Cadmus fools say, she was my finest creation. An ode to the proof I once had of alien life on Earth. Proof that would have made me wealthy beyond the dreams of any politician or business man. That is, until you took all of it away from me." the figure growled.

"Let's face it, doc. You stumbled onto that proof by pure accident. You couldn't even make a decent pot of coffee without it exploding in your face." Sheila said.

"Still a sharp tongue I see." The figure said. "I read the newspapers, Shego. I know you have the clone in your pocket. So why are you here?" the figure asked her.

"Something happened to her the other day. She's different from Superwoman."

"Of course she is." The figure said.

"Damn it, don't play games. You're the only one that knows how to alter Superwoman's DNA. You did the same thing to her that you did to the replicant years ago. You added something to her, didn't you?" Sheila demanded.

"Superwoman's DNA chain gave Cadmus the opportunity for them to create the perfect weapon. A powerful super soldier that would make countries tremble with fear. But there was a flaw in the DNA. A weakness in the armor, as it were. And I don't mean the cellular breakdown like the replicant had." The figure said.

"Kryptonite."

"And Cadmus was determined to make sure that the flaw was eliminated. And after they failed again and again, they finally turned to me."

"How many failures?" Sheila asked him.

"Not counting her? Twenty-three all together." He said, making part of Sheila cringe as he did so. "However, I couldn't remove the gene they hated without compromising the clone. So I augmented it with a unique sample Cadmus had in storage." The figure said with a small chuckle as Sheila face came over with realization. What he just said was confirming her worst fears about Supergirl.

"How? I torched every sample they had." Sheila said as she began tog rind her teeth.

"Do you really think that Cadmus wouldn't keep back-ups of their prized DNA samples?" the figure said as Sheila's eyes began to widen in fear.

"They kept cloning – how many versions of me have died?"

"I don't know. I wasn't involved with the projects involving your family's DNA. I was only involved with this one." The figure said.

"And what do you get out of helping them play Frankenstein? A get-out-of-jail-free card? Money?"

"Salvation." The figure said.

"What?"

Sheila could hear the figure inside the cell take a few steps closer to her, but still remained hidden in the shadows if his cell. What was he trying to hide?

"Do you remember a notorious criminal named Clayface?" the figure asked her.

"Which one? There was more than one Clayface." Sheila asked him.

"The second one. The actor known as Matt Hagen." The figure said. "He had been horribly scarred in a car accident, and was convinced his career was over. Until a nefarious business man named Dagget created a new wonder cosmetic known as New-U. Hagen became his guinea pig." The figure said.

"I remember. He overdosed on it, and it – changed him." Sheila said. That was the only decent way she could put on what had happened. He became a living blob of soft clay that could mimic anyone or anything.

"He became a true shape shifter. An ability that I wanted. With my various connections, I was able to obtain a tissue sample of Hagen, and I thought I had figured out a way to bestow the same properties onto myself." The figure said.

"You didn't!" Sheila said.

"I did." The figure said as he stepped into the light, and allowed Sheila to see what he had become.

Sheila gasped at what she saw in front of her. The figure was wearing a heavily modified survival suit, covered with respirators and bionic enhancements. The helmet was nothing more than a massive glass dome that had two air hoses connected to it along with some strange filter in the back. The head inside the helmet truly looked like it had come from a horror movie. The "skin" was a sickening yellow that seemed to look like it had the appearance of melted wax. The skin hung so loose and low around the right eye socket that it looked as if the eye itself was threatening to fall out. Around one corner of its mouth, the gums had even melted off to reveal teeth and the bone jaw they were set in. Its nose almost wasn't visible at all if it wasn't for the nostrils, and the black hair that once sat on the top of his head was completely gone.

"I had miscalculated the formula, as you can see. My skin took on a putty like form while my bones and a few organs remained solid, except for my lungs. Since they could no longer function on their own, I have to rely on a modified environmental suit." The figure said as it removed a glove, and revealed that the skin on its hand looked more like an oversized latex glove. "My skin also took on a more – deadly role." He said as he placed his hand against a metal table he was standing next to.

"Inorganic matter I can touch. But organic," the figure said as he grabbed a steak that was on a dinner plate.

As soon as his hand made contact, the steak began to sizzle, bubble, and then began to melt. Soon, not even the T-bone within it was hardly recognizable as he withdrew his hand. "If I help them and their little suicide squad, they agree to help me find a cure for what I have done to myself. So, I gave them what they wanted. I just didn't know she would be as arrogant as her mother." The figure said and placed his glove back over his hand.

"But that doesn't explain how you were able to alter her DNA. I stole all the data you had on Superwoman. I made sure of that." Sheila said.

"Except what was in my head. Didn't think I had a photographic memory, did you?" he asked with a small laugh.

"What else did you do to her?" Sheila asked her.

"What do you mean?"

"I know you, Dr. D. What else did you do to her?" she asked him.

"You mean a suicide gene? Please, Shego. In a syntho-drone or a replicant, yes. But this is was different. If I had put a kill switch in her, don't you think I or Cadmus would have already thrown the switch by now?" he asked her.

"Do you swear? On your mother's life?" Sheila growled.

"On my mother's gray old head." The figure said as he sat back into the shadows. "Do come again, Shego. I rarely get visitors." The figure said as Sheila backed away from the cell and walked back to the elevator, where her mole stood waiting.

"Did you get what you need?" the mole asked her.

"Yes. Now get me the hell out of here." Sheila said.

"If you don't mind me asking, who was that guy?" her mole asked her.

"One of the stupidest men alive." She said as she took a deep breath. "He used to be known as Dr. Drakken." She said as her cell phone rang. "What is it?"

"It's Mercy. We need you back at the office, immediately." Mercy said.

"I told you that I'm taking a personal day." Sheila said.

"I know, but this is big. We need you here right now!" Mercy said. Sheila noticed that her assistant actually sounded panic. If there was something that could scare Mercy, then there had to be something wrong.

"I'll be there in an hour." Sheila said as she hung up her phone.

* * *

"You have got be kidding me. Please tell me that all of this is a sick joke or something." Kim said as she looked at the recorded news broadcasts of all the four Super beings that were wearing her house crest.

Kim still couldn't believe she had been out for almost six months. She remembered her fight with Doomsday and what she did to finally stop him. She also remembered being in Ron's arms and what she had told him before she passed out. After that, everything was fuzzy. There were strange dreams involving Ron when he was Batman, and then a field with both of her fathers there. The next thing she knew, she was waking up in the medical lab of the fortress. That had been almost a week ago, and she had been crying almost non-stop. Every time she remembered what Doomsday had taken from her, she would collapse into weeping heap. Every time she thought about her lost child, the pain that followed was unbearable. It was as if something was ripping out her heart and tearing it and shattering it all at once. She knew she needed to focus on what had been happening while she had been unconscious in order to deal with the pain. But when she found out about four people claiming to be her, she was about ready to blow the top of the fortress itself.

"I guess there was no gentle way of telling you." Kal said to her.

"Kal, has the whole world gone insane? Do people actually believe one of these idiots is actually me?" Kim asked him.

"I can't be sure. But a lot of the cultists seem to support the Cyborg Superwoman." Kal said to her.

"Cultists? What cultists?" Kim asked him.

"Crap, I was hoping you already found out about them." Kal said to himself. "After you died, a lot of people believed you were this world's messiah. Something about a second coming. They wear blue robes with the El family crest on the front, and most of them were camped out in front of your tomb. Ever since the Fortress robots brought you back here, there numbers have skyrocketed." Kal said to her.

"Oh my God." Kim said as she held her head in her hands. When she had first decided to become Superwoman, this was one of the things she was afraid would happen. She had done her best to let people know there was nothing God-like about her. The last thing she needed was to be some golden calf or martyr. "You mentioned the cyborg. What do you know about her?"

"Not much. I've had the computer recording any information it can find about the other Superwomen." Kal said to her.

"Smart thinking." Kim said as she sat back in her chair and looked at the giant computer in front of her. "Computer, tell me everything you have about the Cyborg Superwoman."

"_Cyborg Superwoman appeared four and a half months after the discovery of Kara Jor-El's body was no longer inside the tomb in Metropolis. Cyborg claims to suffer from amnesia from a death and a subsequent rebirth. Recent tests conducted at STAR Labs and Middleton Space Center confirm that her DNA matches that of Kara Jor-El while her machine half is confirmed to be of Kryptonian make and origin._

"_However, recent actions has raised some doubt amongst Superwoman supporters. Cyborg has displayed use of excessive force with the apprehension of criminals with no concern for criminal health. Recently, the Cyborg has been equally praised and shunned for killing Winslow P. Schott; Alias, the Toyman."_

"She did what?" Kim asked as she turned to Kal.

"The Toyman had been kidnapping children and tried to give them a new home in some kind of wonderland he created. When one of them helped a bunch of the children escape, the Toyman killed him for it. Toyman was arrested, but the Cyborg took him high above Metropolis and dropped him." Kal said to her.

"Sweet Jesus." Kim said to herself.

"Kara, this thing scares me. It shows no emotion for some of the things it's done. I know it's not you, I've known for a while. But how the hell can a Kryptonian cyborg appear out of nowhere? The fortress is the only place on Earth that can do something like that, and it's been focusing it's energies on keeping you alive." Kal said to her.

"I don't know, Kal. J'onn once told me a Kryptonian scientist may still be on Earth. But if he'' been hiding this long, I doubt he'd try to do something like this." Kim said as she looked at the displayed images of the cyborg. Something about her chilled her to the bone. "Computer, what can you tell me about the other Superwomen?"

"_The young teenaged Superwoman claims to be a clone, created by Cadmus Labs. Various government sources have confirmed her allegations and that she was created in secret while former Cadmus director, Paul Westfield, was under house arrest. She is currently being financially backed by Gough Industries."_

"Great. Shego finally has a superhero in her pocket." Kim groaned to herself. "What about the last one? The one with the visor."

"_All data on Galatea is classified."_ The computer said.

"What do you mean classified? I – Galatea?" Kim asked herself. Why would the computer lock her out, and how did it know this final Superwoman's name? The only one who had access to her computers was –

"Override restrictions. Authorization Kara Jor-El." Kim said as she glared at Kal and saw how he began to look away.

"_Restrictions to file overridden. Retrieving information."_ The computer said as it began to list detailed information about Galatea.

"_Subject's real name is Galatea. Galatea is a genetic replicant of Kara Jor-El created by Drew Lipski, alias Dr. Drakken. Replicant was supposedly destroyed several years after her creation by Justice League member J'onn J'onzz. Replicant then reappeared during the battle with General Zod and disappeared after Zod's defeat. Replicant's whereabouts have been unknown until after Kara Jor-El's battle with Doomsday. With the help of Kal-El, the fortress was able to perform massive genetic reconfiguration to repair most of the genetic abnormalities. However, subject Galatea's eyes are now unable to process light. Modified visor is now needed until problem can be rectified."_

Kal gulped down a ball of air he swore that had been stuck in his throat as Kim turned to face him. The look on her face wasn't calm as he thought he heard her growl as she stood and walked toward him. As he began to slowly back up, he wondered how much time he had to try and fly out of the fortress before his cousin lost her temper completely.

"The Bizarro clone? The last Superwoman is the crazy bitch that tried to kill me years ago?" Kim demanded as she began walking towards Kal at a faster place.

"She really has changed, Kara. Besides, she's a very charming woman." Kal said as he began to smile nervously.

"Charming? She's a back stabbing, manipulative bitch! And she's been staying in _my_ fortress? And now she's posing as me?" Kim demanded.

"Kara, give her a chance. She's been doing the best she can." Kal said.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill her and beat the living piss out of you?" Kim growled.

"Because – because," Kal started.

"I'm still waiting." Kim said.

"Because – I love her." Kal finally said.

Kim stood frozen in the spot she was standing as her eyes bugged out of her head. Kal began to worry a little as his cousin stood motionless for several minutes before he saw her hands ball into fists.

"What – did – you – do?" Kim asked slowly.

"Kara, she's – she's my girlfriend." Kal admitted.

"I didn't ask that. I meant, how far have you gone with her?" Kim asked him.

"Um – well." Kal began as he began to blush.

"YOU SLEPT WITH HER?"

"Kara,"

"DO YOU KNOW HOW SICK THAT IS, KAL? IN SOME PERVERTED WAY, YOU WERE SCREWING ME!"

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" Kal shouted loudly with his voice echoing off the fortress walls. "For your information, nothing happened until after the genetic modification. And if there is any resemblance to our families bloodline, she would be a distant enough cousin for our relationship to be fine! So you can get off your high horse, Kara. I love you, but not like that! I love Galatea because of who she is!" Kal shouted as his nostrils flared from his deep heaving breaths. As his temper began to cool, he started to shiver from the cool air inside the fortress.

Kim closed her eyes and took in a deep breath to calm herself before she began talking to her cousin again. "How do you know she isn't playing you, Kal? How do you know she just won't leave you after her eyes are better?" Kim asked him.

"I don't. But she's stayed with me this long, and she's even said that she loves me as well. Kara, she makes me feel – complete, somehow. It's like I feel like I'm not alone on Earth anymore. I'm in love with her, Kara." Kal-El said to her.

"Oh, boy." Kim said as she rubbed her temples.

"KP?" a voice gasped in shock, making Kim and Kal turn toward the entrance of the Fortress.

Kim looked, and her eyes lit up as a smile, the first genuine smile she made in six months, stretched across her face. Her heart began beating faster as she saw the one person she cared for more than anyone else on the planet. Maybe even in the galaxy.

"Ron?" she asked as she saw the frozen figure standing in shock.

To make sure he wasn't seeing things, Ron quickly ripped the cowl from his face and looked again with his own eyes. Even though he knew she was alive, even when Dr. Fate confirmed his suspicions, it was still unreal for him at that moment. After spending so long believing she was gone, being told he would never see that smile and that glow in her eyes ever again, she was standing in front of him. Alive and breathing.

"KIM!" he shouted as he began running toward her.

Within moments, he held her tightly in his arms as she wrapped her arms around his neck. As she buried her face in the crook of his neck, he breathed deeply and relished the feel of her warm skin and the tickle of her red hair under his nose. It was her. It was really her. She wasn't a dream or an illusion, but it was really her.

"Please, don't ever leave me again." Ron wept as he held onto her as tightly as he could.

"I won't." she said as they stood there, just enjoying the fact that they were together again. "Ron?"

"Yeah, Kim?" he asked her.

"I don't know why, but why do I have this urge to beat Yori into a pulp?" Kim asked him.

"That's a long story." Ron said to her.

"I hate to interrupt." Kal said, making the two star-crossed lovers look up from their embrace. "But the fortress computers just intercepted some strange images from one of Earth's orbiting satellites." Kal said as an image was displayed on the main monitor.

"What in the world?" Ron asked as he saw the image.

"Kal, is that?"

"It's an alien vessel all right. But here's the weird thing. It's a unique design." Kal said to them.

"What do you mean, unnique?" Ron asked him.

"Most of the ship's design matches technology from a planet that's listed as War World."

"That doesn't sound good." Kim said.

"It shouldn't. The world's social structure is similar to the Roman Empire's reign, but with more brutality and violence. But some of the components are – what the hell?"

"What is it?" Kim asked him.

"They've been heavily modified and upgraded, but I could almost swear that some of the ship's components are – Kryptonian." Kal said.

"How's that even possible?" Kim asked him.

"Did Krypton ever have dealings with War World?" Ron asked him.

"Not that I know of. But some of our colonies did have dealings with raiders when they were first established. It's possible that whatever the raiders took, they adapted and traded." Kal said.

"Here's the important question. Where's that ship heading?" Kim asked him.

"According to the sensors, the computer projections shows that it's headed to Coast City. Great Rao, Galatea!"

"Who?" Ron asked.

"I'll tell you later. Kal, contact the Justice League." Kim said.

"I've already tried. I don't believe this! They're jamming the Watchtower's systems!" Kal said.

"And their orbit is on the other side of the planet. That means the League doesn't even know it's there." Ron said.

"I hope your girlfriend can handle this." Kim said.

"So do I." Kal said.


	10. Hostile Visitors

REIGN

By FAH3

**METROPOLIS**

Sheri removed her glasses in a huff as she rubbed her eyes. Almost an hour and a half ago, she was at Cadmus Labs HQ and had seen what had become of her former employer Dr. Drakken. Official records had said he was arrested for tax evasion, but she had known better. He had experimented on himself, and he was now in a government freak show that loved to play God. Years ago, she and her brothers stormed the place after they had taken samples of their DNA when she was a young hero. She had seen their attempts at cloning her, and was sickened by it. Before they had been forced to leave, she torched their morgue and every cold storage they had. Today, she found out that they had extra samples of her DNA and they had been using it. If Mercy hadn't told her to come back like she had, there was a good chance she would have fallen off the wagon and drained that bottle of Jack she had been hiding for the past few years.

As Sheri stepped off the elevator and into her high rise office/apartment, she saw Mercy standing at her desk with her eyes glued to a monitor screen. Sheri didn't feel good, was angry, and really needed a stiff and hard drink. So if this wasn't something life altering, someone was going to go flying out of a window.

"This had better be good." Sherri growled.

"One of our satellites got this a few minutes ago before we lost contact." Mercy said as she transferred the image she was looking at to several larger monitors all over the office. What Sherri was looking at made her eyes almost pop out of her head as her mouth hung open. The image was that of the biggest starship she had ever seen. And one thing was certain. The starship in front of them wasn't made by humans at all.

"When was this taken?"

"Two minutes before I called you." Mercy said.

"It's been over an half an hour, which means they've been in orbit for a while." Sherri said.

"I've been monitoring airwaves. Several reports have already been made about something entering the atmosphere." Mercy said.

"What has NASA said?" Sherri asked her.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"They haven't said anything about it. There isn't even any talk about it on military channels." Mercy said, causing Sherri to think for a moment.

"Zoom in on that image." Sherri said. As she watched as the image kept getting larger and larger, she kept her eyes peeled. It was alien technology, so she wasn't sure what –

"STOP!" Sherri said, making Mercy hold the image. "Mercy, what does that look like?" Sherri asked as she pointed to a row of strange looking devices.

"I'm not sure. The design looks familiar though." Mercy said as she looked at the image.

"It should. Remember that little 'package' that alien android gave us a few years ago?" Sheila asked her assistant.

"You mean the one that allowed us to make Metallo?"

"Uh-huh. I've still got R&D going over various projects from that thing. And that's one of them. It's an energy cannon." Sheila said.

"How powerful is it?" Mercy asked.

"The prototype we're working on is the size of a small cannon you see in pirate movies. And if the data is correct, it has enough power to level almost two city blocks. And the cannons on that ship looks like they're about the size of a greyhound bus." Sheila said.

"But why wouldn't NASA say anything?" Mercy asked her boss, causing Sherri to stop and think for a moment.

"Mercy, contact the Justice League." Sherri said.

"What?"

"JUST DO IT!" Sherri shouted, making Mercy scramble to Sherri's desk. Sherri immediately began typing commands into the desktop computer before she began frowning.

"I can't get them. There's nothing but static."

"Contact one of our military contacts. Satellite phone, land line, use any of them." Sherri said.

Sherri watched as Merci grabbed the phone and began dialing and saw the worry and confusion fill her assistant's young face. Mercy didn't have to say a thing. Sherri even tried calling her brothers on her cell phone and heard nothing but static. Whoever these beings were, they were trying to jam Earth's communications.

"Do we know where it's heading?" Sherri asked.

"Projections show that it's heading straight for Coast City, California." Mercy said to her.

"Use Morse code if you have to, but contact NASA and Coast City. Let them now they've got company coming and it isn't friendly." Sherri said

**

* * *

**

COAST CITY

The Ferris Airfield was one of several hundred complexes that was owned by Ferris Air, one of the leading aircraft developers in the world. But one of the hangers close to the runway, once the home for a new experimental fighter jet for the United States Air Force, was now nothing more than a mass of flames and unrecognizable burning debris. Several fire trucks had been on the scene for almost an hour fighting the blaze, but the hazardous chemicals inside the hanger had made it almost uncontrollable and kept fueling the blaze. The fire fighters had been doing there best to try and keep the other hangers from catching fire since there was various kinds of jet fuel in the hangers next to it. For a moment, it looked like the blaze was finally under control as the flames began to die down.

The relief was too short lived before an unseen fuel drum caught fire and exploded in a massive fireball. Several fire fighters were pushed to the ground, loosing control of their hoses as the blaze burned hotter and anew. As the blaze grew in intensity, the flames began to catch onto the other hangers. The fire chief was shouting for the firefighters to get back. Several had regained their footing and hoses, but the fire chief knew all too well that the heat of the fire would eat through the metal of the other hangers in no time. That meant the hangers were now nothing more than ticking time bombs. Unless a miracle happened, the airfield was going to be a greasy black spot. As the trucks were quickly backed away as the inferno grew hotter, what seemed to be a small boom echoed directly above them. As far as the fire chief knew, no space shuttles ever landed this close to the Western seaboard. And all aircraft were told to avoid the Ferris Airfield. As several of the firefighters looked up, something fast came flying out of the sky and landed directly in the middle of the wild blaze. In what seemed to be only the fraction of a second, a massive explosion rocked the airfield. The sudden explosion caused many of gathered fire fighters to cringe as they covered their ears while other had fallen onto their backs. There was a slight ringing in all of their ears as they looked back up, and saw that the fire was gone. There wasn't really anything left of the hanger that had been on fire, or the jet that it once housed. And from the center of the smoking wreck, a slim feminine figure emerged with a long flowing red cape hanging from her shoulders and a sleek yellow visor covering her eyes.

"You mind telling me what the hell was all that?" the fire chief asked as the woman walked up to him with a relieved smile on her face.

"If you want to stop an oil fire, you set off an even bigger explosion next to it. Sucks out all the oxygen." She said to the experienced fireman.

"That was one hell of a big risk. What if that little stunt of yours backfired?" The man said as his face began to turn a dark shaded of purple. Obviously, he didn't agree with the young woman's method of extinguishing the fire.

"The place was fixing to go off like a Roman candle. Sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures." She said to him.

"I say that we don't looked a gifted hoarse in the mouth. Thanks Superwoman." A young rookie said as he removed his helmet and wiped his sweat off of his brow with the back of his gloved hand.

"I saw Superwoman, and that bitch ain't Superwoman." The fire chief mumbled to himself as he went back to the fire truck he had arrived in. He stopped a few feet short of it as he glanced up into the night sky and noticed something strange. "Is that a plane coming in?" he asked as he pointed toward the dark skies behind the young woman's head.

The young Superwoman turned as several other firefighters also looked at the strange set of lights that were shinning in the distance. Normally, the flashing lights of various planes were white or red. These lights looked more like several glittering prisms that were hovering instead of flying.

"I don't think that's a plane." The young woman said.

"It isn't!" one of the officials of Ferris Air said as he rushed out onto the runway as fast as he could and tried to catch his breath when he reached them. "It – it isn't. All communications are down, but Gough Industries has been sending messages through various radio frequencies using Morse code. That's an alien spacecraft, and it's heading directly for us. And according to the transmissions, it's heavily armed!" the man said as the panic in his face became more evident.

"If it has that many lights, then that thing's got to be huge." Another firefighter said out loud.

"It looks like I'm going to be staying in Coast City a little longer than I planned." The woman said.

"We appreciate it, Ma'am. With Green Lantern being called away every so often, I don't know what we would have done." The man from Ferris Air said. "But, what if they really are hostile?"

"Then they're going to regret the day I left Metropolis." She said as her suit began to glow.

**

* * *

**

METROPOLIS

High above the skies of Metropolis, the cybernetic organism that claimed to be Superwoman was using its various sensors to scan Metropolis both visually and monitoring police bands. It had already completed one sweep of the massive city and was about to begin another when the various super computers alerted her of an incoming contact on a private frequency.

"_White House to Superwoman, can you read me?"_ the voice said almost inside her head.

"Superwoman here. What's wrong?" she asked.

"_We just received a message from Gough Industries in Morse code. They're claiming that a large alien craft is inbound to Coast City. We've tried to contact NASA, but everything is down."_

"Give me a moment." The cyborg said as its machine components went work. "Communications are being jammed, sir."

"_Then that means the report is correct. We can't contact any of our armed forces at the moment, Superwoman. We need you to get to Coast City in case these visitors are hostile." _

"I'm already altering course." The cyborg said as she banked and plotted course to the West Coast.

"_Be on your guard. You might have a fight waiting for you."_

"What makes you suspect that?"

"_A satellite was able to get a picture of this ship before everything went down. According to Gough Industries, this ship is heavily armed. We're talking about weapons of mass destruction on a much larger scale."_

"Acknowledged, White House. I'll be on my guard."

"_You will have some back up when you get there. Before we lost communications, we were receiving reports that the visored Superwoman is already there."_

"She is?" the cyborg asked.

"_She's been there for the past few days."_

"That sounds a little too convenient if you ask me." The cyborg said.

"_You don't really think she's in league with these aliens, do you?"_

"I guess there's only way to find out."

**

* * *

**

THE WATCHTOWER

Mr. Terrific was monitoring and checking up on the various workings and systems of the station as part of his normal routine. Everything with the reactor was still green, and several of the lower decks were reporting everything was normal so far. There were a few problems with several Javelins, but they were being repaired at that very moment. Besides a few toilets becoming clogged, it seemed that everything was still functioning as it should be. As a matter of fact, everything on Earth seemed to be quiet at the moment. And that was a little strange since it was almost extremely rare occurrence in their line of work. However, the only thing that was making him become a little uneasy that he had caught a glimpse of J'onn in his peripheral vision. J'onn's facial expressions were hard to read at times when he was in his Martian form, making it seem like he wasn't feeling anything. But at that moment, J'onn seemed to be very frustrated. And if it was that obvious to read his usual neutral demeanor, that made Mr. Terrific very uneasy.

"Everything okay, J'onn?" he asked the green skinned alien.

"Something's not right." he said as he began checking various systems.

"I didn't see anything malfunctioning when I ran my usual diagnostic." Mr. Terrific said.

"It's not that." J'onn said.

"Okay. Then what is it?" he asked.

"You're aware I'm telepathic, right?" J'onn asked him.

"I think everybody up here knows that." Mr. Terrific said.

"On Mars, we have to be trained from birth on how to control our abilities. But even then, we can still hear the thoughts of everyone around us. So we are taught how to tune other minds out in order to function, and how to concentrate on specific minds." J'onn said.

"You still have to do that on Earth?"

"Especially on Earth. But something isn't right, though. Even when I tune out other minds, I can still sense them. I can sense the minds of everyone on the station and many people on Earth. But right now, I feel like one area on the Earth has just suddenly gone quiet. I can't sense anything." J'onn said.

"Gone quiet?" Mr. Terrific asked.

"I can't hear anyone near the Pacific Ocean anymore. It's as if they're not there." J'onn said.

"Could it be because we're on the other side of the planet right now?" Mr. Terrific asked.

"But we'll be above North America in a few minutes. As we grow closer, their thoughts should be growing louder. Instead, there's nothing but silence. Psychic static, if you will." J'onn said

"Let me check the satellite feeds. Maybe they can find something." Mr. Terrific said and began monitoring the various video feeds.

"Find anything?" J'onn asked.

"Nothing so far. I've been going over the video from the past four hours and – wait a minute." Mr. Terrific said as he began to rewind some of the footage he had just watched.

"What is it?" J'onn asked as he walked to Mr. Terrific's station.

"I'm not sure." Mr. Terrific said as he began to watch the footage more closely. "I don't believe it." he said to himself before replaying the footage. "Why didn't I see this? The footage I'm looking at is a recorded loop."

"How can you tell?"

"There's certain patterns in the video feed I can see. After a few minutes, I see the same exact pattern. Something is jamming the satellite transmissions."

"Our monitoring systems have been compromised." J'onn said to himself. As both realized what had happened, the power grid in the entire space station seemed to slow for one brief moment before everything returned to normal.

"Was that a power surge?" Mr. Terrific asked.

"Impossible. Not unless,"

"_Captain Atom to Bridge!"_

"Bridge here, Captain." Mr. Terrific said.

"_I'm in the Javelin hanger, and we've got a problem. None of the systems are responding. It's as if the whole hanger is on lockdown!"_

"That can't be right." Mr. Terrific said as he began to go through the various lines of code.

"_J'onn? This is vigilante, can you hear me?"_ the heavily southern accented voice said.

"I read you. What's wrong?"

"_I'm on level 34. I was trying to head home on the transporter pad, but the dang thing is on the fritz."_

"It's not just that transporter pad. All of the transporters are off-line. Weapons, communications, the hangers, everything. That power surge must have been a computer virus. The Watchtower just became a prison, J'onn." Mr. Terrific said.

"Captain Atom, this is J'onn. Do what you can to bring the hanger back on-line. If you have to, blow the doors open."

"_I'll do what I can. Atom out."_

"All repair crews report to the main reactor. Run a full system diagnostic, and make sure the reactor is stable." J'onn said into the PA. "The last thing we need is for the station to become a ticking time bomb." J'onn said to himself.

"This is no coincidence, J'onn. Someone planned this." Mr. Terrific said.

"Someone doesn't want us in the way. But who?" J'onn asked.

"It has to be someone who can also block your powers. What about Gorilla Grodd?" Mr. Terrific asked.

"I just received a progress report from Gorilla City yesterday. He's still incarcerated under maximum security." J'onn said. Then, J'onn let out a loud gasp like he had just had the wind knocked out of his lungs as his eyes widened in pure horror. J'onn just stood rooted to the spot before he collapsed to the floor.

"J'onn!" Mr. Terrific said as he rushed to the Martian's side. "J'onn, what is it?"

"S-so many." J'onn whispered.

"What?" Mr. Terrific asked him.

"I-it felt like millions of voices cried out in terror, a-and were just suddenly – silenced. S-something – horrible h-has happened." J'onn said as Mr. Terrific helped him back on his feet.

"Guys!" Josh said from one of the lower levels.

"What is it, Flash?" J'onn asked him.

"California's coming up, and something wrong down there!" Flash shouted.

Most of the heroes in Watchtower's bridge rushed to the viewing windows as fast as they could as they came into orbit above California. As soon as it came into view, everyone's eyes widened in shock. From one point on the West Coast, a massive bright light began to shine, like a lens flare on a picture. They could see a small circle emerge from it before it dissipated, but they all knew what had just happened. Someone had just set off a nuclear, and there was nothing they could do about it.

"Does anyone know where that is?" Star Girl asked.

"I'm not sure, but I think that's Coast City." Josh said.

"You mean Green Lantern's hometown?" Hawk asked while his brother Dove just looked on in horror.

"We need to get the communications back up. NOW!" J'onn said.

"I'm on it!" Mr. Terrific said as he rushed back to his station. This didn't make any sense. Why all this effort just to attack one point on the West Coast? It couldn't be a full scale attack, otherwise there would be multiple attacks all over the continent.

"J'onn?" Mr. Terrific asked, trying to gain the Martian's attention. "J'ONN!" he shouted.

"What is it?" J'onn asked.

"Everything just came back on-line. As soon as that explosion happened, the Watchtower's systems returned to normal." Mr. Terrific said. "J'onn, you won't believe this."

**

* * *

**

MINUTES EARLIER

For once, as it sometimes happens, the weatherman's forecast had been right for a change. Clear blue skies with the only clouds in the sky being those that almost looked like white cotton. The temperature outside was in the low seventies, with a nice cool breeze blowing through the city here and there. There was no smog outside, no sign of rain, just the perfect day to be out and about in Coast City. And many of its citizens were doing their best to enjoy the day as much as possible. Families and children were in the parks, playing and having fun or just enjoying a family meal together. Public pools were open, and filled with the laughs and splashing of the swimmers there. If anyone were to say it was a perfect today, then they would be very sadly mistaken.

Everyone and everything in Coast City seemed to instantly freeze in its place as it came toward them. A massive shadow that began to eclipse all light from the entire city as the giant object from space blocked out the sun's rays. The underside of the mammoth almost looked like a bizarre alien city that had been turned upside down. Several spires reached downward toward the city, almost looking like they had been made and shaped to resemble hideous stalactites. The paint the covered the ship was an orange that could only been seen in the sky during the setting sun, but everyone in the city could see the various dents and scratched in its metal skin from its travels through the depths of space. And hovering above the city, looking at the massive ship with wide eyes wonder and fear, was a young woman wearing a yellow crystal visor and a flowing red cape.

"Sweet Jesus." She whispered to herself as she saw the alien creation up close. She thought she could handle it when she found out the ship was on its way to Coast City. But now that it was here and hovering above her, she was seriously starting to doubt herself and her abilities. "Okay, just calm down. Let's just see what this sucker's decked out wi,"

"DON'T MOVE!" a strange voice said behind her. When she turned around, she frightened for a moment, but only for a moment, at what she saw.

"What are you doing here?"

* * *

"We've arrived, my Lord." One of the pilots said to it's hulking commander.

"Release the pods."

"Sir, shouldn't we give the systems a moment to," an engineer said before his head exploded in a smoking mass of flesh, bone, and brains. Everyone looked on in fear as their leader lowered the small weapon and placed it back into its holster beside his command chair. His eyes glared at the remaining bridge crew as they all froze in place and began to quake in fear.

"If any of you question my orders again, I'll will personally tear your hearts from your chests with my bare hands. We are behind schedule, and our presence has been discovered. NOW LAUNCH!" he bellowed.

The remaining engineers wiped the blood and brains from their dead crewmate off of the control panels and immediately set to work while the pilots made sure their positions above the city were secured and the necessary systems were getting more than enough power. What was about to happen next, they were going to need every ounce of power they could get if they were to survive. Of course, when it came to their commander's wrath, many of them would rather be in the city below them right about now.

* * *

"Are you just going to float there and stare at me, or are you going to help?" Galatea asked the woman in front of her.

"Why bother?" the woman asked as the crimson red eye piece focused on her as the various scanners within her began to take several readings.

"Is that tin can on your head working right? We've got aliens just hovering above us, and we don't know what their intentions are." Galatea said, but the cyborg just floated there.

"Right now, it doesn't matter what their intentions are. In a few moments, it won't matter." The cyborg said.

Soon, like a strange rain, several sphere's the size of fully loaded mini-vans began to rain down from the ship and onto Coast City. The orbs crashed into the streets, destroying various cars. They were crashing through the various buildings, their combined weight and speed actually burrowing through the buildings destroying anything in their ways. Several of the smaller buildings were being pelted several times and began to collapse in on themselves, causing walls of debris to flood the streets and causing the various citizens to choke and almost suffocate. But the one thing that could be considered one of the most horrifying, heart wrenching sounds ever known was the sounds of everyone screaming. In terror, pure intense fear, and in gut wrenching pain. She could hear all of it from above the city. People below her were either in pain or dying from the spheres as they fell upon the city below her. It was the sounds of those screams that snapped Galatea out of her fear and worry.

"I don't care what the hell you do, tin head. I've got a city to save!" Galatea said as she flew passed the cyborg and began looking for a way for her to enter the ship to stop all this. They cyborg merely smiled as her cybernetic arm began to shift and change.

"Turning your back on me was your first mistake." She said as she began to fly after the young women and was easily catching up to her.

As Galatea kept surveying the surface of the alien ship, she suddenly found herself jerked backward as a strong arm circled around her neck and began to choke off her air supply. Immediately she grasped the arm that was choking her as hard as she could and tried to pry it away from her throat, but she couldn't. The strength that she was being held with was incredible. Almost impossible! As she glanced upward, she could see long red hair, and part of the face of the woman she had once been a replicant of.

"What – what the hell a-are you doing?" Galatea demanded as she continued to pry the cyborg's arm off of her.

"There's one thing I want you to know." The cyborg whispered into her ear as she felt something hard being jabbed into her back. "You will be blamed for deaths of millions."

Galatea's eyes went wide as soon as she heard those words. With every ounce of strength she had in her entire body, Galatea jerked to the left and broke the cyborg woman's grip on her, but also felt an intense burning feeling in the right side of her lower back that went all the way to her abdomen. She gripped her abdomen and almost balled into a fetal position as the burning seemed to grow and intensify. She gritted her teeth so hard that she felt she was jamming her teeth deeper into her jaw as tears streamed from her eyes and down her face uncontrollably. How she didn't scream from the agonizing pain, she didn't know. She truly didn't. If there was some other way to describe the ungodly amount of burning and pain that seemed to just suddenly flood throughout her body, agonizing wouldn't be it. She wasn't sure any word in any language in the universe could describe how much she was hurting at that moment.

"Still alive? I'm actually impressed. I expected you to be as burnt as the city soon will be." The cyborg said, causing Galatea to look up at her through her tears. The cyborg was floating closer toward her, and she could see her cybernetic arm was shifting and changing into something larger and more threatening. She didn't need to be as smart as Kal-El to know that her arms was turning into one ugly, big ass cannon.

* * *

"Lord, all 77,000 orbs have been dropped. What are your orders, sire?" a small engineer on the bridge of the alien craft asked as he humbled himself before merciless commander. At that moment, the small alien wasn't even sure he could keep any of his three bladders under control.

* * *

"Y-you d-don't – care. D-do you?" Galatea asked the machine in front of her.

"But I do care. I care a great deal about this city's fate." The cyborg said as the weapon her arm had become began to power up. "What I care about is that everything in this city, and in this entire area, is completely obliterated." The cyborg said as she leveled the large cannon evenly with Galatea's head.

* * *

"DETONATE THEM, YOU FOOL! **NOW!**" the large tyrant screamed, his voice almost shaking the very bridge itself as the engineers typed in the commands for the sphere's below them.

"Fusion grid if forming, Lord Mongul. Power level is now at twenty-three percent and rising quickly."

"RAISE THE SHIELDS! Once the grid is in place and ready, we'll have to ride out the biggest explosion this planet has ever seen." The commander said with sadistic glee in his eyes, and blood thirsty and murderous smile on his face.

"The grid is formed, sir!" one engineer shouted to his master.

"Then let this village of pathetic Earth trash die!"

* * *

The cannon was leveled to her face, and Galatea could see the energy blasts forming in both barrels of the weapon in front of her. For one brief moment, she wondered if this was how some humans felt while looking down the barrel of a gun as it was fixing to fire its deadly projectile. Fear and sadness filled her mind as she realized she was fixing to die in a matter of moments. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see the blast coming for her as she whispered one last phrase before it was all over.

"Kal, I love you."

Something else happened. Both of them heard it at the same time, stopping there actions as they floated in the air. Galatea's eyes bolted open as she and the cyborg looked down as they saw the explosion begin to happen. It was almost amazing as time seemed to slow to a crawl within those moments. The entire ground seemed to swell like a bubble before everything began to crack like an egg. All at once, buildings cracks and collapsed like a house of cards, the streets shattered like thin sheets of ice. And then came the blinding white light. In a series of seconds, seventy-seven thousand individual explosions coalesce into one massive blast. Every office, every home, every school and hospital is atomized and becomes nothing more than dust in the wind. The west coast is completely shattered as more then seven million men, women, and children that once called this city home die.

Inside the bridge of the alien craft, every life form and creature inside of it had to hold on for dear life as the magnitude and shockwave of the blast it had caused violently rocks the ship almost beyond anything it was built to withstand. Even though there was a chance they may die at that moment, everything and everyone stayed at their post and continued to work to their best abilities to make sure the ship stayed in one piece.

"Shields are down thirty-nine percent, sir!" one of the pilots shouted.

Hold steady! We're through the worst of the blast. We can only hope that the leader has survived." The commander said.

It may have seemed like only seconds, but it felt more like years as the blast and the shock waves shred and buffet everything in their path. But finally, after what felt like endless hell on Earth, the blast and shock waves finally pass. As the clouds of debris and intense fire finally begin to part, nothing remains of Coast City. No plants, no structures, not even insects. Nothing but the crater the massive blast created. Inside the ship, the commander of the murderous horde responsible delighted in the wake of so much carnage and death. If he had heard the screams of all the innocents before they died, he most likely would have had an orgasm on the spot.

"We're directly above the epicenter and it's perfectly calm, lord." One alien tech said.

"Then we must hurry before the leader arrives. Move to the next phase and release the seeds." The conquer said.

Once more, the alien craft unloaded another payload. This time, unlike the bombs that had just killed so many, these orbs were smaller and larger in number. Looking like thousands of over sized marbles, the strange orbs propelled themselves deep into the ground. Once they reached the depth they were programmed to reach, a strange metamorphosis began. The seeds opened, and micro machinery began to extend, replicate, and build. Like a hideous plant from a nightmare, the machinery in the seeds continued to build and grow, connecting with the machinery of other seeds and continued to expand. The smoothed and burnt ground broke and shattered as the machinery pierced through and continued to connect, to grow, and to build something hideous and massive on the graves of so many innocents.

"Underground completion is complete, Lord Mongul."

"Excellent! The leader shall be pleased with us when we finally rendezvous. Bring us closer to the constructs. As soon as the docking bays are finished, dock the ship." Mongul said as he stood, towering over every one of his crew and exited the bridge.

It had only been ten minutes since the Coast City was wiped off the face of the Earth, and the machine seeds were already finished creating the base of hideous structure that aliens would soon call home. And not far from the construct, a metal fist punctured through the ground before a dirt covered body with flowing red hair followed. The red cape was in taters and slightly burned, as well as various parts of the uniform she wore to hide the biological portions of her body. As soon as she was on her feet, she launched herself into the air until she was high above the alien city. From her position, she could see that destruction was so massive and all-consuming and the self-constructing replacement for the dead city was breathtaking in its appearance. It was all so beautiful in the cyborg's eyes.

"_Wh - - uperwo – an yo" _a transmission said. It was the White House. They were trying to contact her. She had to compensate for some of the debris that was still in the air. _"White House to Superwoman, are you there? For God's sake, if you can hear me you've got to answer!"_ the transmission said.

"I can barley hear you, White House. There's a lot of debris in the atmosphere." The cyborg said as she saw that half of the alien base was now complete. She could now also see the alien vessel flying towards a docking port and immediately made her way towards it.

"_Thank God. Everything was jammed earlier, but now there's too much smoke and ash to see anything. We were finally able to contact the Justice League, but what they've told us – Superwoman, what do you see? Tell me that this isn't really,"_

"I'm – afraid so." The cyborg said, making sure it sounded upset. "I did everything I could, but it's gone. Everything is – is just gone."

"_Why? I mean – HOW? There's got to be something!"_

"The only thing here is a large smoldering crater, White House."

"_What about that alien ship? Can you even see it?" _

"It's gone without a trace, White House. There was a good chance it was destroyed in the explosion as well. Right now White House, the only thing here is me. But I'll keep looking." She said as she landed on top of the alien ship as a large hatch opened three feet in front of her.

"_Sweet Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Do what you can, Superwoman. We'll be sending emergency teams A.S.A.P.."_

"Superwoman out." She said as Mongul's large massive form rose through the hatch, and what visible light made his yellow skin resemble the same tone as a putrid corpse. Mongul walked to the small cyborg and looked down at it before it sank to one knee and looked down. "You do know that we're _behind_ schedule."

"The construction is almost complete, master. It shouldn't be much longer.

"Good. We will make these backwater idiots choke on their own blood." The cyborg said with a small chuckle.

"Yes, master. Your dreams shall be fulfilled." Mongul said as he took the human hand of the cyborg and kissed it.

"I've reshaped Coast City to my desire. Once I'm done, Earth shall be damned! And the universe shall forever blame Superwoman for it!" the cyborg said as it looked at it's creation brought to life. "Once construction is finished, begin work immediately. Metropolis shall be our next target."


	11. The Plot Thickens

REIGN

By FAH3

**California, inside the danger zone**

The air was thick was black smoke and blinding ash, while everything within the dark mass was in complete ruin and disarray. Freeway ramps and interstates had been knocked over and obliterated into piles of ruble. Cars and trucks were now twisted shards of unrecognizable pieces of burnt shrapnel. Anything and everything looked more like it was a scene from the movie Terminator 2, with hardly any evidence of what it once was. Of course, the expression was hardly. For hours upon hours, everything was still and as quiet as the grave. Until several pieces of gravel and concrete began to move and shift from beneath it. Soon, more and more chunks of gravel began to move and fall away on their own until a lone hand punched it way through the massive mound of debris. Soon, out of the slimmest of chances, three people emerged.

The first to emerge from what was once their refuge was slightly overweight, balding man in his early forties. His white shirt was stained with dirt and sweat, and his sleeves rolled up, as he forced his way through the make-shift hole he had created. He had been on his way to work and running late when he had encountered traffic. He wouldn't have been late if he hadn't stopped by the home of his mistress, his brother's young wife, for a quick romp in the hay. He was going through the tunnel when everything went crazy as it felt like the mother of all earthquakes hit. He had tried to get out with several other, but parts of the tunnel collapsed in on them while they had been fleeing for safety. It had taken hours, and many people had died, but now he was free.

The second to emerge was a man in a blue flannel shirt, jeans, and a red Cardinals cap. He was an out of state truck driver, hauling a load to Coast City. He had just delivered his load and was on his way back home when the tunnel collapsed. The last person to emerge was a young blonde woman in a short skirt and a now worthless designer shirt. A young college student who decided to ditch her classes and go to the beach with her friends. She hadn't gotten very far when she became trapped with the other. Many of them had their own theories on what had happened. The Big One finally hitting and breaking off California from the rest of the United States. Or it was another terrorist attack, similar to 9/11 but on a much grander scale. The businessman thought the Russians had finally done it and hit the button to start World War III. Having a grandfather and father that were so anti-Communist they would have made Castro felt ashamed of himself, he still was suspicious of anyone from Russia.

But now as they saw what kind of hell they had stepped into, none of them knew what to think or believe. Everything around them was hideous, a disaster in itself. Nothing was recognizable anymore, making it almost impossible for them to tell where they were. None of them knew what to say or what to do. It looked like they had stepped out of one nightmare and into a living hell on Earth. What they were seeing in front of them just didn't seem possible.

"What happened?" was all the truck driver could ask.

"I told them. I told them for over twenty damn years that the cold war wasn't over." The businessman said.

"I-I can't get a signal." The young girl said as she once again tried her cell phone once more.

"You're not going to get a signal. Not in this mess." The business man said.

"At least she's trying instead of spouting some old bullshit from when Regan was president!" the trucker said.

"Why you redneck mother,"

"WOULD YOU BOTH JUST SHUT UP?" the young girl screamed, causing them both to stop their argument and turned toward her. "We're in the middle of disaster, and both of you are acting like you're having a stupid pissing contest! I can't reach my friends or my family! WHAT IF THEY'RE ALL DEAD?" she screamed as she fell to her knees and began to cry, paying no attention to how the gravel and stones scrapped her knees as she did so.

"Damn, don't I feel like a heel." The trucker said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe we should try and find some way of calling for help." He said.

"We might not have to. Look! Up in the sky!" the businessman said as he looked skyward.

At first, there was still nothing but ash and smoke all around them. They couldn't even tell if the sun was out, or if it was even night or day. All they could see was nothing. But then, there was something. It wasn't clear at first what it was above them. A bird? A plane, maybe? But then they heard the sound, the sound of whatever it was getting closer. As it did, they could clearly see that the shape was a person! As it landed, they all wondered what, or who, could it be that found them. They would soon have their answer as they heard the person walking toward them. As it got closer, all they could see was a dark shape. But then they could see their uniform was blue, and with a flowing red cape behind them. When they saw the pentagon shield with the stylized S inside of it, the knew they were saved.

"Are you all right?" the person called out.

"Thank God." The girl said to herself as the truck driver and businessman waved their hands to get the heroine's attention.

"WE'RE HERE! WE'RE OKAY!" the businessman shouted as loud as he could.

"Thank God for you, Superwoman. What happened here?" the truck driver asked.

"It was the Russians, wasn't it?" the businessman asked.

"No. An alien invasion, lead by one of the four Superwomen." The heroine said.

"Oh my God." The young girl said in horror.

"Son of a bitch. Which one?" the businessman asked.

"I don't have time to explain. I was tracking her when I found you. She could be – SHE'S RIGHT BEHIND YOU!" the heroine screamed as she pointed to something in the distance, causing all three to turn away and look.

"W-where? I can't anything!" the young girl said.

"I said," the heroine said as her arm shifted and changed. "she's right behind you." She growled as a large beam of energy erupted from her arm at the three.

The beam engulfed all three within moments, burning away their flesh, muscles, and organs within seconds before burning their bones to sickening charcoal black. Not even their screams of agonized pain had time to escape as their hideously burned and smoking remains fell to the ground where they once stood.

"_White House to Superwoman. White House to Superwoman, did you find anything? Were there any survivors?"_

"Negative, White House. Just some wounded animals. I put them out of their misery." The machine said as her mechanical eye began to glow a bright blood red.

* * *

**The Fortress of Solitude**

"Galatea, come in! Galatea, can you hear me?" Kal asked as he tried to patch into communication device he had given her before she had left for California. Ever since they intercepted the broadcasts about an attack on Coast City, Kal had been trying to franticly contact her to confirm what was being reported. But still, there was nothing but static from her. Kal couldn't help but feel that there was something terribly wrong. "Galatea, if you can hear me, please answer!"

"There's no point in that, Kal-El." Ronald said as he tried to gather information on another computer terminal. "If that blast is as massive as the reports say it is, then"

"Then what?" Kal demanded as he turned to face Ronald. "Are you saying I should just give up? ARE YOU TELLING ME SHE'S DEAD?" Kal-El shouted.

"No, Kal. I'm saying that the blast probably destroyed her comm system." Ron said as he looked up from the terminal he was at and saw the anguish in the young Kryptonian's eyes. It wasn't that long ago that Ron looked even worse than Kal did right now. Ron had done his best to keep as much of his emotions in check since he started down the path to be Batman, but he couldn't help but feel sympathy for Kal-El right now.

"How can you be sure she lived? Even if they lived on Earth all their life like Kara, Kryptonians still have their limits. I doubt – I-I don't want to think about it." Kal-El said as he did his best to fight the urge to break down and cry.

"Look at KP, Kal. She was beaten to death by a monster everyone said was unstoppable, and she still came back. And I know for a fact that part of Kim is in Galatea. So if she survived the blast, then she's probably doing her best to find a way to contact you." Ron said to him.

"Thanks, Ronald." Kal said as he went back to scanning and recording various news broadcasts.

"That was a nice thing you just did." Kim said as she came and sat beside Ron, handing him a crystal mug filled with hot chocolate.

"I was speaking from experience. I know all too well what he's feeling." Ron said as he saw Kim smirk a little and lay her head on his shoulder. Part of him doubted what was happening and what he was feeling was real, but it wasn't a dream. He could feel her, smell her, see her. Kim was really back, and he never wanted to loose her again.

"What are you trying to do?" she asked him.

"I'm trying establish al link with Watchtower. I'm hoping they may be able to shed some light on what happened." Ron said.

"Why don't you try to contact J'onn?" Kim asked him.

"He was the first one I tried to contact. But something is wrong. I can't hear him in my head." Ron said.

"Try an emergency channel. Someone might be monitoring one of them." Kim suggested.

For several minutes, Ron used several of the emergency channels to send his ID to the League. He kept hoping that someone would recognize him and answer. They had no clue what was happening and they needed answers right now. But deep down in his gut, he knew that whatever happened in Coast City was probably bigger than they realized. In an emergency situation like this, the League would contact any and all members to be on high alert. And with Ron being a founding member, he would have been asked to come to Watchtower immediately. But no contact from the League, him not being able to contact J'onn through telepathy or any of the channels? Then that meant something or someone had been planning this. Which meant Watchtower had been hacked.

"_Hello? Ro can you hea e?" _a faint transmission said from Ron's terminal.

"J'onn, is that you?" Ron asked, hoping whoever it was could hear him.

"_Hol on. I'm switch frequ" _The transmission said. For several agonizing seconds that seemed to last for almost hours, there was nothing but the sound of static. This was the first contact they had from the League they had been able to receive since the attack on the West Coast, they couldn't loose it now. Seconds more passed as Ron kept his eyes glued to the console, hoping and praying to hear J'onn's voice again.

"_Ronald, can you hear me?"_

"I read you loud and clear, J'onn. Are we secured?" Ron asked him.

"_Affirmative. No one else can read us."_

"J'onn what's happened? Why didn't the League respond to the disaster?"

"_Something activated Watchtower's lockdown protocols. All communications and transports were offline."_

"What about your telepathy?"

"_Something is blocking it, Ronald. At first, it was just the West Coast, but it's spread since then. We're receiving reports that the alien craft responsible may have been destroyed."_

"I doubt it. If you can't reach us with your mind, then they're still here. Have you heard anything about one of the four Superwomen? We know the one with the visor was in Coast City during the attack."

"_The United States also sent in the cyborg Superwoman, but they won't release any further information. Ron, where are you?"_ J'onn asked him.

Ron was about to respond before he turned and looked at Kim, still sitting beside his side. He thought for a moment or two before looking back at the console and giving J'onn an answer. "I'm at a safe location and keeping an eye on things. I'll let you know if I discover anything."

"_Understood. I'll monitor this line in case you contact us. Watchtower, out."_ J'onn said as the transmission ended.

Ronald quickly reached for his belt and withdrew a small rectangular device from one of the pouches. Kim only glanced at it briefly before Ronald pressed a button within the center of it before smashing it against the console he had been sitting at, destroying it completely.

"What was that?" Kim asked him.

"It puts the cave on lock down. It also tells Dick and Hannah to go to a safe house no one else knows about. Not even you." Ron said.

"Why?" Kal asked him.

"Think about it, Kal. If those aliens could shut down the Watchtower and block J'onn's telepathy, then there's a good chance they might be monitoring every signal on Earth." Ron said to him.

"How does he think up this stuff?" Kal asked Kim.

"When he's not in the suit, he can get a little paranoid." Kim said to him.

* * *

**The Watchtower**

Everyone with even the slightest knowledge of computer and technical expertise were going over every secret, microchip, and line of data in every computer system on board the orbiting space station. No one knew how they had been hacked and locked down, but they sure as hell wanted to make sure it didn't happen again. At that moment, every single person on the space station felt like they should kicking themselves as hard as they could right now. They had built this place in order to keep an eye on Earth and respond to emergencies faster. And when Coast City needed them the most, they looked like a bunch of kids playing pretend. It was a rare moment, but it was safe assumption that every person that called themselves a hero inside the Watchtower was asking themselves only one question at that very moment. How could they let this happen?

"Report, Blue Beetle?" J'onn asked as he walked up behind the man in the uniform with his hood pulled back.

"Everything checks out, J'onn. All the firewalls are still untouched. Everything is still the highest level of encryption that you designed. And I doubt anyone else can translate the Martian language in order to access our restricted files." He said as he wiped several strands of his sweat soaked brown hair out of his eyes.

"But they were still able to override our systems." J'onn said.

"Look, J'onn. I know you don't want to think this, but it's possible that these aliens are more technologically advanced. And if that's the case,"

"Then our firewalls would be like flies trying to attack a modern day battleship. I'm aware of that fact, Blue Beetle." J'onn said as his look of frustration began to grow.

"How about we drop the formalities for now? The name is Ted. Ted Cord." Blue Beetle said as he stood and held out his right hand.

"I know, Ted." J'onn said and shook the man's hand. "I just don't want us to be defenseless in case these invaders try to launch another attack."

"Do we have any idea who they are, or why they did this?" Ted asked.

"None. Which is highly odd."

"It is?"

"Even when the White Martians tried to overthrow everything, they made their intentions clear. But we've heard or see nothing since the attack. And even this cyborg Superwoman can't find them. And it's been confirmed that her machine half is Kryptonian technology." J'onn said as he looked at Earth through the large windows again.

"Could they be more advanced the Kryptonian tech?" Ted asked him.

"I doubt it. When Dax-Ur came to Mars, even the simplest tools he had with him were some of the most highly advanced machines I had ever seen. And that ship didn't even compare to half of that." J'onn said.

"So why is the cyborg Superwoman having trouble finding them?" Ted asked.

"That is the real question." J'onn said as he began to think.

"J'ONN!" Mr. Terrific called from his station above. "J'onn, we've got a priority one message coming in from Oa!"

"Oa?" Ted asked.

"The home base of the Green Lanterns. Put it on the main viewer." J'onn said as a large holographic display of a small blue skinned alien male with white hair replaced the large windows that allowed a view of Earth and open space. "Greetings, Ganthet. I'm afraid you've chosen a bad time to contact us." J'onn said.

"_I'm afraid I must drop the formalities, J'onzz. One of our sectors is currently under attack, and we need help."_

"You need _our_ help?" J'onn asked.

"_The sector we speak of is small. Only a few inhabited worlds that no other beings have ever shown any interest in. Several hours ago, a group of invaders entered the system and killed the Green Lantern that guards that sector. We have already dispatched several Lanterns, but we fear that they will be too late by the time they arrive. And with Du, Stewart, and Gardner off on other assignments, we need reinforcements to get there as soon as possible. Your Justice League is the closest, and may be this system's only hope."_ Ganthet said to him.

"I'm not sure, Ganthet. We have a situation of our own at the moment."

"_J'onzz, people are dying as we speak! This system needs help!"_ Ganthet protested.

"I'll volunteer." Captain Marvel said, stepping forward and stood beside J'onn.

"So will I." The Ray said as he stood up.

"As will I." Doctor Fate said.

"Me too." Wonder Woman said.

"There's one problem. Our Javelin's are only capable of short range flight, not deep space travel." J'onn said.

"There is one way. Maxima."

"That loose cannon?" Blue Beetle asked, having pulled his hood back on.

"The ship she used to come to Earth is still in the hanger. We can use it to travel."

"But the energy cells are almost depleted. You'll need a large energy source to get the hyper drive working again. And the only ones I know of that can do the job are the Green Lanterns." Ted said.

"There's another way. Computer, contact the Justice Society. I need to talk to Alan Scott and his daughter, Jade."

"The original Green Lantern." J'onn said under his breath.

"_There is one more detail. Before he was killed, the Green Lantern reported of a psychic attack that had disabled several beings. It almost disabled him."_ Ganthet said.

"That means you're coming with us, J'onn." Wonder Woman said.

"I can't, Diana. I have too much I need to do here." J'onn said.

"J'onn, you heard him. If there is a strong telepath, we'll need the edge. No one is as strong as you." Diana said.

"_J'onzz, please. There isn't that much time left."_

J'onn closed his eyes and let a deep defeated sigh escape before looking back at the hologram of Ganthet again. "We'll be underway within the hour."

* * *

The image was crystal clear as it displayed the unbelievable horror to everyone that was watching. An image of the visored Superwoman, Galatea, was laying waste to anyone and anything in her path that tried to stop her. All around, massive metal globes rained down upon the city and leveled anything they came into contact with. Smashing through the tall buildings and skyscrapers, plowing through pavement and asphalt and creating craters, or completely flattening anything in it's path. Including innocent bystanders that were fleeing from the chaos, screaming in fear while they tried to escape the horrible chaos around them. The image then seemed to rush toward Galatea at unbelievable speed as a metal fist crashed against the side of her face. As a flesh and bone fist tried to land another blow, Galatea blocked it with her forearm as the open hand of her other arm emitted a blast and blinded the image for a few moments. As Galatea came back into view, a massive explosion erupted from the center of the city and created a plume of fire. The wall of fire began coming toward Galatea at an incredible speed as she turned toward the camera and smiled before the concessive force of the shock wave sent the camera tumbling end over end and up into the air before everything was consumed by a massive fireball.

"_I won't show you the rest."_ The cyborg Superwoman said as her face filled the screen. In the lower left hand corner, a smaller image of Cat Grant in the WGBS news room showed her reaction of shock and horror from the image that was just shown. _"By the time my systems came back on-line, it was already too late. Coast City and everything that was here is now nothing more than a massive crater in the Earth." _

"Am – am I to understand that you have refused to let the military help you in anyway, Superwoman?" Cat asked her.

"_For the moment. As of right now, I can't find the vessel. The debris field and smoke from the resulting Forrest fires the blast have caused has reduced my visibility. For all I know, the ship may be hiding in the debris clouds, or even cloaked for that matter. I'm not willing to risk anyone's life until I'm sure these invaders are no longer a threat."_

"What about the Justice League? Can't they assist you?"

"_They could, but their assistance is needed with those around the disaster area. Also, I imagine they are trying to make sure their systems are secure. If the invaders can hack into their computers, there's no telling how much data they can steal to use against the people of Earth."_ The cyborg said.

"Well, thank you for this interview."

"_My pleasure, Miss Grant."_

"You saw it here on WGBS, ladies and gentlemen. Coast City is gone while others are killed and injured by the resulting devastation. Until further notice, the United States military is evacuating people within a one-hundred mile radius of the massive debris cloud. Everyone else within the area are told to remain within their homes until further notice. We'll report more updates as soon as we receive them. I'm Cat Grant for WGBS News."

* * *

As the broadcast ended, the lady cyborg smiled as her one red ruby eye began to glow brightly. Various wires and cables detached from the side of her metal face plate and retracted into the ceiling above as thousands of images from all over the word were broadcasting all at once on the giant monitor in front of her. Behind her, Mongul stood as still as a statue and looked completely bored out of his mind as the cyborg woman in front of her seemed to enjoy the havoc and confusion they had caused all over the world.

"Was it so wise to do this, Master? Won't this just strengthen the humans need to investigate further?" Mongul asked her.

"You forget that while one person may be intelligent, a gathered mass of them will be a dumb and dimwitted as a flock of sheep. They believe Superwoman is here to protect them and to make sure that they are kept safe. Luring them into a false sense of safety is the perfect weapon. As long as they believe I'm the dead Kryptonian, they'll believe just about any lie I give them." The cyborg said as she turned and headed to the main control room, with Mongul following behind her.

"The human reporter did raise a interesting question. What of this Justice League that she spoke of?" Mongul asked her.

"They're nothing more than a collaboration of mutants that think themselves more powerful than other terrenes."

"But this debris field will not last. And if this Martian you spoke of is with them, we won't be able to block his telepathic abilities for much longer." The large yellow alien said.

"_I already have the matter well in hand."_ A holographic image of the Guardian Ganthet said. The same holographic image that was used to contact J'onn moments earlier. "The only ones who are a threat to me are either off world or dead." The cyborg said. "How goes construction?" the cyborg asked while her mechanical arm opened, and various pieces and electronics connected themselves into three consoles in front of her.

"Over eighty-five percent has already been completed, Master. Within two days time, we shall be ready to bring the main power core online." Mongul said.

"Good. What about our little 'gift' for the city of Metropolis?" the cyborg asked as she accessed several systems all at once.

"Construction has just begun on it. Because of unforeseen delays, it won't be ready until a week from now." Mongul reported, and froze slightly as he saw the cyborg turn and her ruby red eye blaze with energy.

"I don't like hearing bad news, Mongul." She growled as the area around Mongul began to shift and change. "You know what happens when I hear bad news." She said as several blasts of energy struck Mongul all at once, causing him to scream as he felt the most intense pain imaginable flow through every nerve in his body. What was only seconds for everyone, it seemed almost an eternity for the large conquer. Soon, the energy stopped and Mongul collapsed to the ground in a smoking heap.

"The next time you carry bad news, remember who holds your leash, dog." The cyborg growled as Mongul tried to stand to his feet.

"Y-yes m-my Master." Mongul said as he pulled himself to his knees.

"Before we can destroy Metropolis, there is one other loose end I need to take care of. It's time to set a trap for the arrogant brat known as Supergirl."

* * *

"This doesn't make sense." Ron said as he replayed the WGBS interview with the cyborg Superwoman. Time and time again he replayed the footage of the cyborg's POV battle with Galatea and kept examining it closely. But every time Ron replayed the footage, the harder Kal was grinding his teeth together. An action that didn't go unnoticed by Kim.

"How are you holding up?" she asked her cousin.

"She wouldn't do that, Kara. That - thing - is lying." Kal said to her.

"Kal,"

"Don't start with me. You keep trying to tell me that I don't know her like you do. Well, you've got it wrong for once. _You_ don't know her! I've spent the past six months here with her. You're not the one that fixed the chromosomal damage of her DNA. You're not the one that's been staying up day after day, trying to find a way for her to see normally again. You don't know that her favorite food is a Mr. Goodbar, or that her favorite movie is Starman! Or when she giggles when she drinks a Soder Cola because the bubbles tickle her nose! You,"

"KAL!" Kim shouted, stopping Kal in the middle of his rant. "I'm sorry. I know you love her, and I wasn't going to try and tell you otherwise. I was just worried about you." Kim said.

"I'm sorry, too. I'm just worried about her. And I know for a fact that she wouldn't do this!" Kal said as he pointed to the video footage.

"He's right." Ron said as he stood from his seat.

"He is?" Kim asked.

"I've gone over everything in the fortress computer. If she was in league with these aliens, how did she contact them? Only the Fortress has the equipment to make off world contact into space, and there are no records of any communications into space since Brainiac freed Zod from the Phantom Zone. And there's a strong chance the footage is fake."

"How can you tell?" Kim asked her fiancé.

"This cyborg took on ten terrorists that attacked the White House. They were armed with the latest weapons, and she was able to take all of them down without a scratch. And everything the computer recorded about Galatea indicates that even at full strength and with that solar suit, she wouldn't stand a chance in a fight with a Kryptonian cybrog."

"And the footage shows her overpowering the cyborg as if she was nothing." Kim said.

"And every record I have about Galatea indicates she was only interested in a chance to show off her abilities."

"You have records on Galatea?" Kal asked him.

"I like to keep tabs on everyone. I'm not the slacker I used to be." Ron said. "But conquest and power have never been any interest to her. If they were, why not just try and take over after Zod was defeated?"

"But we're going to need more than our opinions to convince everyone else that the footage is faked. Can the computer in the bat cave prove it?" Kim asked.

"The computer has every software update known to man. Even software that hasn't been released yet. But the cave is on lockdown. It'll be another week before we can have access to it again." Ron said and saw Kim and Kal both curse under their breath. "But the cave under the mansion isn't our only option." Ron said.

"You have another bat cave?" Kim asked and saw the small smirk form on Ron's face. "Where?"

* * *

**Gough Tower**

Sherri sat in her chair and gazed at the vast and outstretched city of Metropolis in front of her. Several things were going through her mind all at once. At the forefront of it was her urge and want to pick up a bottle of hard liquor and drain it as fast as she could. Who knew being sober would be such a pain in the ass? The other thoughts in her mind were revolving around the phone call she had just received from Washington D.C.. The head of the of Homeland Defense had told her that the cyborg Superwoman in California wanted help. And not just any help, but help from her Supergirl. She was told that if Supergirl was indeed a clone of Superwoman, then two Superwomen would have a better chance at finding the aliens that destroyed Coast City. Sherri had agreed and told Supergirl to be here as soon as possible. While she waited for the young girl to arrive, she couldn't help but wonder at this strong of apprehension she was feeling right now. She had come to care for the girl, and was worried about what was waiting for her out there in that hell. Would she be safe? Would be she all right? She wondered if this was how a parent felt when their child was about be sent off to fight in a God forsaken war.

"What's up, Sherri? What's wrong?" the girl asked as she flew in through the automatic window Sherri had installed for her. "I was about to beat the high score in Modern Warfare 2 and . . . is everything all right?" the girl asked as she removed a small strand of her from her eyes.

"Washington just called." Sherri said as she turned in her chair, and couldn't help but notice how much the girl really did look like Kim.

"That's impressive. Especially since he's been dead for several hundred years." the girl said.

"I'm serious." Sherri said and saw the girl gulp down a large a large lump of air. "Do you watch the news?"

"Not really. It's usually boring most of the time, and everyone just talks about is Coast City."

"That's what this is about. The ash and smoke have gotten so bad that it's almost blocking out the sun in Denver." Sherri said as she stood and leaned against the large plexi-glass window. As she looked at the young woman in front of her, she couldn't help but think of her as a small child playing pretend. But the only difference was that she wasn't trying to play pretend, was she? "Superwoman, the machine one, wants you to help her find and arrest the rogue Superwoman." Sherri said as she bit her lower lip.

"She does?" the girl asked as her eyes grew wide. "Why? I mean – I know I'm Superwoman's clone and all, but me?"

"I was as shocked as you are." Sherri said and took a deep breath. "They want you to fly out there immediately. You'll meet up with Superwoman in Los Angeles, along with a news crew from WGBS. After a few formalities, all of you will fly into the disaster area."

"They do?" the girl asked. "Wow. Cool!"

"Not cool. You're going up against a very real, and very deadly, threat out there. The weapons they have are more advanced than ours, and there's a good chance they can kill you!" Sherri said as she stood to her full height as her gaze hardened.

"I'm sorry, Sherri. I just – I just didn't think someone would have this much confidence in me." Supergirl said as she thought back to the destruction of the Daily Planet helicopter, and the fight Batgirl had picked with her. Both times had proven how inexperienced and stubborn she was, and not the best indicator for her going up against something as huge as this.

"I'm just telling you that this isn't one of your video games. This is going to be dangerous, and I want you to be careful. I know you've had some bumps along the way, but I know you can do this. Just – just come back in one piece." Sherri said while doing her damndest to keep a straight face.

"Sherri, I'm going to be fine. With two Superwomen on their slimy green butts, those aliens aren't going to stand a chance." The girl said as she slipped on a pair of sunglasses and flew out the window and towards the West Coast.

"I hope you're right." Sherri said as she watched her disappear into the distance.

* * *

**Gotham City**

"Arkham Asylum?" Kim demanded as the bat plane began to lower itself from out of the sky. It had been several hours with barley a word spoken between them. Every time Kim asked about the alternate cave's location, Ron would only say that it was somewhere safe or hidden. She wished Ron would had said something along the way back, but both of their minds were occupied about what was happening on the other side on the United States. Kim was having to wear a solar suit herself since her powers were still extremely weak. But unlike Galatea's suit, hers was a full black bodysuit with the house of El in highly polished silver. Unless someone looked closely at her, they would think she was wearing a pair of tights. But on closer inception, the suit was actually several pieces that had been joined together and creating a unique design.

"Of all the places to have an alternate headquarters, you pick the one place that houses some of the worst criminals in the Eastern United States?" Kim said as the plane went into stealth mode and hovered above the Intensive Care building.

"It's the last place on Earth anyone would think to look for me." Batman said.

"You forget that several people think you're just as crazy as the Arkham inmates." Kim said.

"Point taken." Batman said.

The restraints immediately became unbuckled and retracted as the floorboards open and the sleets straightened. Soon, Kim and Batman fell from the plane and down into the small gardens beside the intensive care ward. Batman's activated the memory cloth in his cape, allowing it to harden and become a glider while Kim was doing her best to control her decent in the pale moon light. Batman landed feet first and slid a few feet as the glider became a cape once more while Kim landed, and immediately stumbled and fell.

"Are you all right?" Batman asked as he rushed to her side and helped Kim back onto her feet.

"My powers are weaker than I thought. I could barley reduce the speed I was falling." She said as she tried to dust the dirt and few pieces of dead leaves off of her. "So where to now?"

"Follow me." Batman said as he walked to a steep cliff face behind the building and pushed the long and full branches of a large bush aside. Behind the large plant was a large cave opening.

Kim followed the masked crusader into the cave that soon began to ascend upward. After traveling a few feet inside, the duo came into a large cave that had an opening to the outside that had an almost picturesque view of Gotham City. Batman walked to the opening and stood there for a brief moment as he looked at the city he had sworn to protect years ago.

"I keep forgetting how big Gotham really is. From here, from this view, I almost wish I was back in Middleton." He said, allowing his voice to slip into its normal tone.

"It is a wonderful sight sometimes." Kim said as she stood by his side and firmly held his hand in hers. "Does this place have a name?"

"Dead Man's Point. This is a popular spot where some of the prisoners like to come to commit suicide." Ron said.

"That's – somewhat depressing." Kim said.

"When I first became Batman, I stopped a riot of escaped prisoners. This was before the Joker and the rest made themselves known. After the riot, I stumbled upon Dr. one of Jonas Arkham's journals. In it, he described how he had brought his wife here, when it was still just Arkham Island. It was here that he proposed to her." he said as he turned and looked at Kim. "When I thought you were gone, I almost lost myself. I almost crossed that line I swore I wouldn't cross. When I brought the Joker back here, after I rescued Robin, I came here. I stood here until the sun rose, and I thought about walking off this cliff and not looking back." He said as their hands tightened.

"No matter what happens, Ron; you won't loose me again." Kim said to him.

"Hold onto me to tight." He said as he brought Kim close to himself, his voice slipping back into that of the Batman. Kim wrapped her arms around his neck tightly as he took a few steps forward and grasped the edges of his cape. "Do you trust me?"

"I always have." Kim said.

With those words, Batman leapt off the cliff and dove into the dark and choppy waters below them. The cold night air blew at them hard, almost feeling like the north wind itself was blowing at them and them alone. More and more of the cliff face passed by them in a rushing blur before Batman spread his arms, and activated the glider in his cape once more. There speed immediately decreased as they glided on the back of the wind as Batman maneuvered them around the cliff. Soon, Kim saw where Batman was trying to fly to. A large cave opening that would be impossible to see unless you truly looked for it, no bigger than a doorframe for a pair of large double doors. Angling his body to the right, Batman glided the both of them toward the cave entrance before raising himself upward and collapsing the cape.

Batman tightly gripped Kim as he landed inside the cave and lowered himself to his knees as they slid to a complete stop. It wasn't what Kim was used to, but she was glad to feel the wind beneath her once more. Kim released her grip on Batman as she balanced herself for a brief moment. As she turned into the cave entrance, she saw nothing more but a wall of solid rock.

"Are you sure where in the right spot?" Kim asked.

"Positive." Batman said as he walked toward the wall. Within a foot from the wall, three scanners activated and scanned Batman from the head down before stopping at his eyes.

"_Identity confirmed. Welcome, Batman."_ The computerized voice said. The large stone wall of the cave started to rumble before it began to descend downward, allowing both Batman and Kimberly access to a large stone passageway. With Batman entering first, the duo walked several feet down the passage as the secret entrance sealed itself closed. After several moments in darkness, large spotlights suspended high above them illuminated the large cavern they were standing in. A series of steel beams attached to the walls and suspension cables firmly held a series of steel catwalks and platforms inside a massive cave with the bottom so far below them that it was completely shrouded in shadow. A bat shaped plane, smaller than the one they had traveled in, was covered in a dust covered tarp as it sat on one platform, several feet above them.

Kim followed Ron along one of the suspended catwalks until they came to the center and largest platform where a large computer system with several various monitors sat, surrounded by several crates that had the logo to Stoppable Industries painted on them. From the amount of dust on the small plane and on the crates, it was obvious Ron hadn't been here for quite some time.

"Systems on." Ron said as he pulled his cowl back and took his seat in the large chair in front of the monitors. The computer immediatley came to life as a large symbol of a bat appeared on the monitors before changing to its normal display.

"_Incoming transmission."_

"Open a channel." Ron said.

"_Ron, it's Dick. What's going on with the cave?"_

"A precaution. Is Hannah with you?"

"_Yeah. We're at a safe house in Gotham."_

"I need both of you to suit up and head directly for the alternate cave."

"_Your on Arkham Island? Are you nuts? I thought that placec was just for emergencies!"_

"I'll explain later, Dick. But I need both of you here as soon as possible." Ron said.

"_All right. We're on our way."_ Dick said as the transmission cut out.

"Can they get in the way we did?" Kim asked him.

"There's an alternate route through Arkham's sewer system. The only disadvantage is that it goes by an abandoned sewer that the Asylum keeps Killer Croc contained in. But I was able to seal that section off." Ron said as he removed a flash drive from his utility belt and inserted it into one of the computer ports. "Computer, access flash drive data. Analyze video footage labeled Galatea One."

"_Accessing and analyzing data. Process will take twenty minsutes."_ The computer said.

"Twenty minutes?" Kim asked.

"The computer is going to test every single piece of data on that footage." Ron said to her. "Do you really think your clone would be able to do such a thing?" Ron asked her.

"I'm not sure anymore. The last time I saw her was when we fought Zod. And before that,"

"And before that, she wanted to take over your life. Except that was when we were still in High School, KP. People change."

"I know. Just – I've seen the worst in people for so long that I just assume – when did you get smarter than me, anyway?" she asked him, making Ron crack a small smile.

"_Batman, it's Batgirl. Can you hear me?"_ Hanna's voice said.

"I'm here, Batgirl. Are you and Robin en route?"

"_We just headed out. But I wanted to give you the heads up that there's another news broadcast coming from California. It's about the cyber bitch."_

"Thanks for the heads up. Batman out." Ron said as he began to access the news feeds on the internet.

"She's got a mouth on her, doesn't she?" Kim asked.

"She took your death really hard."

"She did? I didn't know Batgirl looked up to me." Kim said.

"I forgot, you don't know who Batgirl is under the mask." Ron said. "You'll find out soon enough." Ron said as he brought up the news feed from WGBS. It was a live video interview with the Cyborg Superwoman and the young clone at a small military base that was several miles from the smoke and debris field of the Coast City disaster area.

"_. . . hard evidence Coast City was destroyed by the visored being that dared call herself Superwoman. Rest assured, my clone and I will bring this rogue to justice!"_ the cyborg said.

"_Supergirl,"_

"_That's Super-WOMAN."_

"_My apologies. But does this mean you think the cyborg is the real Superwoman?"_

"_Well . . . maybe. Yeah. That gets a definite maybe."_ The clone said.

"My God. She really does look like me." Kim said as she looked at the young super being in wide-eyed astonishment.

"Except she's a little paler than you were." Ron said.

"_I still strongly advise against you following us into the blast area. You have no idea how dangerous it is inside there."_ The cyborg said.

"_The White House has already given us the green light, Superwoman. There's a lot of people out there that need to know how bad it is."_ The reporter said.

"_Then you'll all die in there, gentlemen. I guarantee it."_

"_Hey, can the gloom-n-doom. They'll have the two of us looking after things in there. They'll be covered."_ The young girl said.

"_You really think so? I have to say that I wish I had that much confidence in my powers when I was your age."_ The cyborg said as they both took to the air.

"_Once we're in the air, we'll begin to broadcast again. Back to Snapper Carr at our Metropolis studios."_

"I'm worried, Ron. I don't trust that cyborg." Kim said.

"Neither do I, KP. Neither do I." Ron said.

* * *

**Daily Planet, Metropolis**

"_I have to say that I wish I had that much confidence in my powers when I was your age."_

"Do what?" Lois said as she looked up from the article she had been working on. Knowing there was a delay with different news networks, Lois rushed to the other side of the City Room just in time to hear the cyborg repeat what she had just said.

"_that much confidence in my powers when I was your age."_

"Son of a bitch!" Lois said as she turned on her heals and ran as fast as she could into Perry White's office.

"Lois, I'm on the phone right now." Perry said as Lois grabbed the phone right out of Perry's hand.

"He'll call you back." Lois said before slamming the phone back into it's cradle. "Have you been watching the news?"

"Lane, that was my wife on the other end!"

"I'll send her a fruit basket with an apology note. Now answer my question! Have you seen the news?"

"Of course I have! Why?"

"Because that tin plated freak isn't Superwoman!" Lois said.

"Not this again. Lois, you said the same thing when she dropped Toyman like he was a bad habit."

"And that was my first clue! Now she's really slipped up."

"What do you mean?"

"She just wished she had as much conifencee in her powers as Supergirl does in hers. Chief, Superwoman was my friend. And I know for a damn fact that her powers developed slowly. When she was that kid's age, the only things she could do was run faster than a speeding bullet and lift a eighteen wheeler over her head like it was nothing." Lois said.

"I remember those interviews, Lois. But think for a minute. Didn't you say she was raised on Earth as a baby? She was raised like one of us, probably scared of her abilities. Don't you think she could have meant more confidence in the powers she had at the time?" Perry asked her.

"Chief,"

"Lois, listen to me. You're a damn good reporter. One of the best I've got. You say she isn't Superwoman, then I believe you. But it's not me you have to convince. You have to convince everyone out there ion the world, and you need hard facts to do it. And right now, science says she's the real deal."

"But Perry,"

"You also reported that, supposedly, the cyborg has amnesia from her apparent rebirth. So it's also possible that she doesn't remember her powers developing slowly. Hard facts, Lane. You want to convince the world she's a fake, then find the facts that will prove it." Perry said to her.

"Fine. You want hard facts? I'll find them. Even if I have to go all the way to Coast City to get them!" Lois said as she stormed out.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm going to get more blood pressure medication?" Perry asked himself.


	12. Prelude

**The Fortress of Solitude**

It had been hours since Kimberly and Ron had left the Fortress to a find Ron's hidden base where they could analyze the footage the cyborg Superwoman had given to WGBS. The footage had shown Galatea destroying Coast City and being in league with the alien invaders. But to Kal-El, that didn't make any sense. Kal and Galatea had been here for months and had gotten to know each other very closely. He knew what kind of woman she was, and knew that she did indeed have several flaws about her. But one thing that he knew for sure was that she would never help anyone kill thousands of innocent people. He didn't care if Ronald didn't believe him or not. He knew in his heart that Galatea was innocent. So while Kim and her lover left, he chose to stay here and monitor everything.

And while Kal was recording and monitoring transmissions from around the world about the Coast City event, he couldn't help but wonder about Galatea. Since the attack, he had lost any and all contact with her. By now it was obvious to Kal that this cyborg was the real traitor. But what happened to Galatea? Could she be dead? Was it possible he would never get to see her ever again? He prayed to Rao that she was still alive. But with each passing hour, the more his hopes kept dwindling.

"Robots, has there been any other communications from Kara or Ron?"

"_Negative."_ Unit 12 responded.

"What about Galatea? H-has she reported back?" Kal asked, but knew the answer that was coming.

"_Negative, sir. No transmissions from subject Galatea are detected."_ Unit 7 said.

"For Rao's sake, where is she?" Kal shouted as he slammed his fist against a console, almost breaking it.

"_alert! Proximity alarms have been triggered. Something has penetrated the Fortress' defenses and is approaching at an alarming speed."_ Unit 7 reported.

"Robots, bring the inner defenses online and prepare for a fight. If those invaders have discovered our location, I'm not going down without a fight!" Kal said.

"_Acknowleged."_ Unit 7 said as several pillars and walls within the fortress began to shift and change. Even the robots them selves began to shift and transform their limbs and pieces of their bodies into small but very dangerous looking weapons.

"_Intruder is within ten feet of us. Impact in twenty seconds."_ Unit 5 reported as Kal tensed his muscles and his eyes began to glow red from his heat vision.

The Fortress shook briefly as something broke through the giant crystal roof before impacting into a large wall, cracking and shattering some of the larger crystals before falling to the floor. Kal-El and the other robots kept their eyes glued at the still form and readied for whatever attack it might try to use. But there wasn't any movement at all. Kal wasn't even sure if whatever this intruder was was breathing or even alive. In fact, it looked more like it was severely wounded. Dispite the distance, Kal could easilt tell that this creature had suffered significant burns to several portions of its body.

"Fortress, run scans. What is it?" Kal asked the main computer.

"_Processing."_ The computer said and became silent for a few moments. _"Life signs are weak. Subject has sustained trauma to the abdomen, several internal injuries as well as burns to thirty-five percent of body as well as some radiation poisoning." _the computer reported before going silent once more._ "Scans complete. Subject is identified as Galatea."_

"Gala . . . NO!" Kal screamed as he rushed to her side. As he knelt next to her, he immediately grimaced at the wounds she had sustained. Various burns were all over her body. Most of them had burned through the solar suit and almost completely burned away flesh and muscle. Her visor was gone and her eyes closed tightly. Her long black hair was now significantly shorter than it had been. Her arms were wrapped around her stomach where he saw what looked to be some sort of wound in the side of her abdomen. The way her face was contorted, it looked like she was in very great pain.

"Prepare the regeneration chamber immediately!" Kal said as he lifted Galatea into his arms.

"_Sir, the chamber's power cells haven't recharged from healing Kara Jor-El. It would only be at half power if we,"_

"I don't care, 17! GET IT READY, NOW!" Kal shouted.

"K-Kal?" Galatea asked weakly.

"It's okay. You're safe now." He whispered to her as the chamber rose from the floor of the Fortress and the robots worked to prepare it.

"Cy – the cy," Galatea tried to say.

"What is it?"

"The . . . cyborg. Cyborg destroyed . . . Coast City. S-she tried to k-kill me." Galatea said before she passed out.

* * *

**The Disaster Zone**

Everything that wasn't on fire was either a burnt heap or a pile of charcoal and ash. Even the wind that dared to blow through the area carried nothing but intense heat that could melt the beard of the Lincoln Memorial statue in Washington DC. And despite their best efforts, the TV News crew that was following the cyborg Superwoman and the young Supergirl were having a hard time see through the ask and rubble that was still in the air. Supergirl herself was wearing an oxygen mask that had been given to her before they left airfield. She had claimed she wouldn't need it because she was Superwoman, of course. But when they entered the disaster area, the intense heat actually felt like it was hurting her lungs. So just in case, she put on the oxygen mask and was breathing through three small tanks attached to a belt she was wearing. The cyborg was still just still. She hadn't said much at the airfield, and she hadn't done much now. It was a little creepy for the young super teen to be around who was supposed to be, in some weird since, her mother. But this woman was always so emotionally cold. So much so that the teen thought the Titanic would mistake her for an iceberg.

"Guys, were not getting anything on radar. Can either of you see anything?" the helicopter asked through his headset.

"I can't see anything after a few feet ahead of me." The young heroine replied.

"I'm using x-ray and telescopic vision. So far, I don't see anything." The cyborg replied.

"According to the instruments, we're almost twenty miles into the disaster area. I'm going to have to turn back in a little bit before all this ash clogs the engines." The pilot said.

"That's what you think." The cyborg said to herself as her red eye began to glow.

"WE'RE UNDER ATTACK! REPEAT! UNDER ATTACK!" the cyborg shouted as loud as she could as she stopped in mid-air.

Supergirl immediately stopped and looked all around the area, trying to see what the cyborg was talking about. What she saw instead was the cyborg Superwoman aiming her heat vision at the helicopter's gas tank, and watched helplessly as the chopper exploded into a massive fireball and obliterated anything that had been inside of it. As the chopper fell, the super teen saw the figure of the cyborg still floating with flames and ash all around her. And glaring at her was that one red cybernetic eye that was still glowing like a hot coal from a raging fire. At that moment, they cyborg looked like evil in carnet.

"Y-you killed them? B-but we said we – we'd protect them." Supergirl said in shock. "I said I'd protect them." She whispered.

"And I said they would die in here." The cyborg said as her voice dropped several octaves. "And as for you, welcome to hell!" the cyborg said as she used the young teen's moment of shock to fly in close and bash her across the face with her cybernetic arm.

The young girl tumbled end over end through the sky as she headed for the blazing inferno below her. It was difficult for her at first, but the young girl was able to straighten herself and make herself pull up with the large and uncontrollable flames liking pieces of her uniform and jacket. Desperate to gain some distance between her and the psychotic machine, the child soared and weaved through burned trees and the remains of what were once various buildings. After flying for some distance, she finally had to force herself to duck behind the remains of a large concrete wall when she felt the sensation of pain on her arms and legs. After taking a moment to catch her breath, she looked down at her uniform to see that parts of her jacket and the uniform had been burned away and the skin underneath was red. She looked down along her legs and saw it was like her arms as well. What was wrong with her? When she rescued the Man of Steel, she had burned her hands because his armor had been super heated. And now with the fire? What was going on?

"Haven't you heard?" the cyborg's voice rang out, causing the teen to press herself against the wall as she darted her head back and forth to find her. "Last time I checked, Superwoman was invulnerable to fire. Which means she would laugh at something like . . .THIS!"

The entire wall she had pressed herself against was destroyed in a massive explosion that not only propelled the young Supergirl forward against her will, but it also washed a wave of intense heat and fire over her as well. Face first she tumbled through the wreckage and ash of what was once a busy interstate before she crashed through a concrete barrier and found herself falling off of what was once and overpass. She leapt to her feet as she screamed in pain, ripping off the jacket from her shoulders as it was being incinerated by intense flames. The shoulders of her uniform were burned away, as well as a good portion that covered her lower back. Her skin was surging with pain from the burns as she tried to force herself back into the air. She knew that all she needed was to bask in a little bit of sunlight, and her wounds would heal in no time. She just had to find a way to get airborn.

"You fooled everyone, tinsel teeth! You won't get away with this!" the young girl said as she dashed into the air and shot straight upward.

"Is that a fact?" the cyborg asked as she appeared out of the smoke and ash in front of the teen and pelted her across the face with her metal fist and sending her spiraling down back to the burning ground. The young woman stood to her feet as she coughed out smoke and ash from her lungs.

"Damn – Damn straight. I'll stop you, you overgrown blender from hell. And Superwoman always wins!" the young girl said as she stood back onto wobbly legs.

"There's just one problem." The cyborg said from behind. Supergirl spun around in time only to have what was left of a large oak tree smash her in the face and send her flying skyward into an ark. "_I'M_ Superwoman, brat!"

When Supergirl hit the ground, she skidded through what felt like smooth ground and rock before her head hit bedrock. After hitting the bed rock, her momentum caused her to bounce a few times as she saw the ground beneath her rush by before she hit the ground again and skidded to a stop. She was in pain and she was already feeling exhaustion. She was using too much energy, and the smoke and debris were covering too much of the sunlight to let her recharge. This wasn't good for her at all. As she forced herself to turn over on her back, her eyes had barley focused when she saw something from high in the sky barreling straight toward her head! The young girl managed to cross her arms over her face and head when she felt something incredibly strong and heavy strike down on top of them. Whatever it was, she could feel it trying to push down on her arms! When she lowered them slightly, she saw that it was the cyborg with her metal arm slammed against her crossed arms.

"You're just delaying the inevitable, brat." The cyborg growled as her hand shifted and transformed into a large two-barrel energy cannon. Moving quickly, the teen titan pushed the weapon away from her face. But the cyborg was still so much stronger than her. She could feel the cyborg trying to reposition her metal arm, and was slowly succeeding. "I will write Superwoman's legacy, and it will be written in blood. And you are powerless to stop me, whelp. You're nothing. You're not ecan a clone of Superwoman."

"D-don't – count me – out - - just yet!" the young girl said as she tried to push the weapon away even harder. As her anxiety, frustration, and fear all began to spike at once, her hands began to glow with green energy. Without warning, the cyborg realed backwards, screaming in pain as a massive explosion of green energy destroyed not only the cannon but most of the cyborg's right arm as well. Using her unexpected opening, Supergirl launched herself into the sky and fled as fast as she could.

"YOU LITTLE BITCH!" the cyborg screamed as it clutched the smoking ruin of it's arm.

She was lost in the swirling haze, unable to see where she was going. She just prayed to Christ that she was going the way she had come in. She needed to warn everyone that the cyborg was the real villain. She tried to focus her eyes, trying to activate some other power she had. Superwoman had x-ray and telescopic vision, so why didn't she? Was the cyborg right? Maybe she wasn't a – no! She was a clone of Superwoman! Cadmus just didn't understand Kryptonian DNA. There was probably gaps or something. Just like in that Jurassic Park movie. That had to be –

"Holy shit." Supergirl said as she soared out of the massive cloud of ash and smoke. Hoping to find signs of civilization so she could warn everybody, she found something far more horrible. In what looked to be one of the world's most massive craters was a huge city of advanced machinery. It was like a massive refinery from far, far in the distant future. And in the center of this technological monstrosity were what appeared to be two massive cooling towers that were the size of small mountains. All together, the sight before her had to be as big as the entire city of Metropolis if not bigger. What the hell was going on here?

"Beautiful isn't it? But you don't have to worry, pup. It isn't the end of the world." The cyborg said directly behind Supergirl. As she began to turn, the cyborg landed a powerful uppercut directly underneath her chin and sent her flying higher once more. When Supergirl came crashing down again, she felt herself hit one of the smooth metals walls of the alien city like a bug hitting a windshield before bouncing of another wall and landing face first into the dirt. She was aching all over, she could feel her jaw swelling, and she could swear that she was seeing stars in front of her eyes. She could hear the cyborg's footsteps coming toward her, but she didn't have the strength to move. "It's only the end of your world."

The cyborg bent over and grabbed Supergirl by a tight handful of her red hair and forced her to her feet. She didn't have the strength to stand on her own, or to even shout at the pain of the cyborg almost pulling her hair out. Most of her wait was being propped up on the sleek metal building behind her.

"Y-your not – not Superwoman. Y-you can't be." Supergirl moaned as she tried to stay awake.

"I guess you'll never know. Will you?" the cyborg asked before bringing what was left of its arm directly down upon the young girl's head.

* * *

**Batcave underneath Arkham Asylum**

Ron was still watching the computer analyze the footage while Kim slept on a small cot he had kept inside the alternate batcave. His cowl and cape were sitting in a pile next to the computer, as well as his gloves. He didn't know how long he they would be in here. In fact, he had created this cave in case of an emergency and had never thought about bringing a spare set of clothes for himself, let alone anyone else. He knew Kim had to be uncomfortable in that solar suit. Every so often, he had noticed her trying to adjust it in certain places and wished he had thought about getting her something before hand. But he couldn't risk releasing the lockdown on the mansion and main cave yet. Not until he knew what they were dealing with. As he thought about that, he began to wonder where Hanna and Dick were. He had sent them the coordinates to the emergency cave's location, and they should be here by now.

Just as Ron thought those words, the alternate entrance/exit to the cave opened to allow Dick and Hanna to enter as they were removing their masks.

"We got the message. What in the world's going on?" Dick asked as they stepped onto the main platform.

"Have you seen the reports about Coast City?" Ron asked them without turning around.

"It's all over the place. CNN and all the major news networks are constantly covering it." Hanna said.

"That kid claiming to be Kim's clone even went in there with the cyborg earlier, but the lost contact. The last transmission said that they were under attack. Who knew that lady with the visor was the bad guy." Dick said.

"She wasn't." a very familiar voice said, causing both Dick and Hanna to stop in their tracks. All they could do was look at Ron as he sat in front of the bat computer. When they saw a woman with red hair stand to her feet, and saw her green eyes looking down at them and the large S shield on her chest; they almost fainted on the spot.

"K-Kim? I-is it?" Dick stuttered.

"FOCUS!" Ron shouted, forcing hit two partners in crime fighting to pay attention. "Haf an hour before you got here, we received this message from Kal-El." Ron said and brought up an audio file.

"_Kara, it's Kal! Galatea just crashed in here, and it's not good! She has radiation burns as well as what appears to be wounds that could have come from an energy based weapon. I've got her in the healing matrix now, but it's low on power. I – I don't know if she'll p- pull through or not. B-but I analyzed the energy signature that was left from her wounds. Kara, this weapon was Kryptonian! Whoever these invaders our, their using our technology against Earth!"_

"And I've been going over the footage from the news broadcasts. These images are fakes." Ron said.

"They look real to me." Hanna said.

"I know. The computer was almost fooled. But there were small details here and there that the computers found. After further analysis, I was able to confirm that every single frame is a computer generated forgery. The images were just too perfect. Several objects were missing key elements such as tool marks, fabric textures, and some of the people in the distant background are missing pores on their skin." Ron said.

"Holy Crap, Batman." Dick whispered.

"You mean," Hanna began.

"It means the cyborg is the real monster." Kim said as she looked back at the image. "That bitch slaughtered thousands, and she did it using my name. Wearing my families crest!" she said as she gripped a hand rail and was barley able to twist it out of shape. "At least that's getting easier." She said to herself.

"Well, Kim's back. Can't she just swoop in and kick their ass?" Dick asked.

"It's never that simple. Earth's satellites can't get any clear images of the disaster area. Neither can the Watchtower, and their systems were too easily hacked. And," Ron said but trailed off.

"What's wrong?" Hanna asked.

"My fight with Doomsday took a lot out of me. I might be back on my feet, but my powers aren't restored yet. I can't really fly yet, and it took a good portion of my strength just to bend that guard rail." Kim explained.

"In other words, we're screwed." Dick said.

"Not by a long shot." Ron said as he and Kim went back to the data they had been collecting.

"That dust cloud has been there longer than it should have been. If they're using Kryptonian technology, that means they must have a machine creating cover for them. Similar to the ones in my fortress that keep it hidden." Kim said.

"But what about Supergirl? If the cyborg is the bad guy, then that means,"

"She may already be dead." Ron said, finishing Hanna's sentence. The young batgirl may not have liked the super powered teen, but that didn't mean that she wanted her to be killed. As her father's words sunk into her mind, a cold feeling of both guilt and nausea began to form in the pit of her stomach.

"What do we do now?" Hanna asked.

"We can't contact the league. The invaders are most likely monitoring their transmissions. And if we let the world know Kim is alive, they may try to make another move that we're not ready for." Ron said.

"We're going to need help though. And every hero in the world is on the Watchtower." Kim said.

"Not all of them." Dick said, causing all of them to look at him. "Me and the other sidekicks started hanging out with each other every so often. You know, when we're not fighting bad guys? In fact, we've got a small club going." Dick said, but started to cringe as both Ron and Kim kept looking at him. "Right. Get to the point. Well, some of them can actually hold their own. If you need some muscle, they might be able to help."

"But how are you going to contact them, genius?" Hanna asked her boyfriend.

"Wade might have set us up with our own comm. System. One that – um, - you didn't know about, Ron." Dick said as he scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Who are they?" Ron asked him.

"Um, let me think. There's Speedy, Kid Flash, Cyborg, Beast Boy, Raven, and Starfire." Robin said as he remembered their names

"Roy Harper, Wally West, Victor Stone, and Garfield Logan from the Doom Patrol. But I don't have anything on a Raven and Starfire." Ron said.

"How do you know all of their secret identities?" Ron asked.

"I'm Batman." Ron said. "Who are Raven and Starfire?" Ron asked him.

"Raven was raised in some sort of monastery. She's empathic and some kind of sorceress. She keeps to herself and really doesn't open up a lot." Dick said.

"That sounds familiar." Kim said to herself.

"And Starfire?"

"Believe it or not, she's an alien princess from outer space." Dick said.

"And a tramp." Hanna muttered.

"Excuse me?" Kim asked while giving a stern look to Hanna.

"Sorry. It's just that when she showed up, the first thing she did was kiss Dick on the lips!"

"She told us that it was how her race learned different languages."

"By shoving her tongue down your throat?"

"It wasn't a French kiss!"

"But you sure as hell weren't trying to push her off!"

"ENOUGH!" Ron shouted, causing the entire cave to become silent for several minutes. "Dick, give them these coordinates and tell them to meet us there in an hour."

"Ron, you're not seriously thinking about asking them to fight these guys?" Kim asked.

"It looks like the invaders don't know, or don't care about them. And it gives us a needed edge for a reconnaissance mission." Ron said as he began to put his gloves back on.

"Ron, they're kids!"

"And they knew what they were getting into when they started fighting crime, KP. And right now, we need all the help we can get." Ron said as he slid his cape and cowl back on.

"They got the message." Dick reported.

"Then suit up and move out." Batman said as he deactivated the computer and made his way toward one of the exits.


	13. Teen Titans, Go!

**Note(s):** I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long. But I lost my father on Thanksgiving Day of last year, and I have been trying to work through the pain. I thank you for waiting, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

* * *

**Gotham City**

The late night sky was the same as it always was in Gotham City. A sickening shade of dirty coffee brown that was complete with clouds of smog and pollution blocking out most of the stars. During the day, the city was a wonder to behold. Not as grand as Metropolis was, but still a wonder within itself. At night, the older neighborhoods looked as dark and sinister as the various criminals that were insane enough to call the massive urban war zone a home. And in the heart of Gotham City was the only remnant that was left from the days when Gotham had been originally founded and built. Wonder Tower. The mysterious and massive iron construct whose purpose and meaning had been long forgotten. The rumors about the tower were numerous. The oldest rumors were that another city had been built next to Gotham, it's founders calling it Wonder City. But after a strange plague broke loose, Gotham sealed off Wonder City and built over it. The only thing left being Wonder Tower.

On the large balcony that had been built halfway up the massive structure, one lone figure of a young man stood. As he gazed out at the massive city around him, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

"How long has it been?" he asked into his comm link.

"_They're ten minutes late."_ The voice on the other end growled.

"Give them a break, boss. They're not like you and me." Robin said.

"You can say that again." Batgirl scoffed from the shadows. Robin didn't have to guess who Batgirl was referring to.

"How many times,"

"_Heads up. Two life signs are heading up to the balcony. Be on alert."_ Batman said, interrupting what Robin was fixing to say.

Robin and Batgirl quickly assumed a defensive stance as they waited for whoever was approaching. Within a few moments, they could hear what they swore were the sounds of rocket boosters. Within a few moments, a large figure that looked to be clad in a strange assortment of high tech armor flew over the balcony. When the figure was five feet above them, it cut the rocket boosters that were on the bottom of his feet and that were on its back before landing on the balcony so hard that it felt like the entire tower itself shook.

"Sorry about that. I'm still working on the landings." The figure said as it emerged from the shadows and revealed itself.

The figure was a young African American man, with a portion of his left face and eye covered by a metal plate and a red artificial eye. The rest of his body wasn't that much different. His torso was covered in a metal armor, but it looked like most of the chest was actually a combination of robotic and cybernetic components. It looked like most of his right arm was real, but his entire left arm, and both legs from the thighs down, were advanced cybernetic prosthetics. The only time Robin or Hannah had seen this kind of technology was either in the Watchtower or the R&D division of Ronald's company. But the strangest thing about him was the fact that it looked like he had a terrified green squirrel clutching the back of his neck.

"Nice of you to make it, Victor. But where did you get the rodent?" Robin asked him.

"Believe it or not, he started off as a cat." The young cyborg said.

"I didn't think you'd fly here like a lunatic!" the small creature screamed as it leapt off Victor's shoulder and transformed into a young thirteen-year-old boy with green skin and hair as it landed on the balcony. Besides his strange skin pigmentation, the only weird thing about him was the fact he was wearing a black and purple body suit. "Now I know why I keep kicking his butt in video games. He has no sense of direction or control!" the young man said as he tried to calm himself.

"I'll remember that the next time you need a ride." Cyborg said, making the green teenager gulp. "Anyone else here yet?" Cyborg asked.

"You two are the first." Robin said.

"They wish." a voice said from behind them. All turned to see a young man wearing a red and yellow bodysuit as he leaned against part of the tower. His mask had a pair of special made goggles in the eye pieces that allowed his red hair to flow freely. On his chest was a white circle with a red lightning bolt across it. "I got here before bird boy did."

"Then why didn't you say something?" Batgirl asked.

"You know how long it takes to get here from Central City? I was taking a nap! A growing hero like me needs his rest."

"Why don't you just tell them that you got lost?" another young man, about fourteen, asked as he climbed out of the elevator lift shaft. He wore a red and black sleeveless armored body suit with a red domino mask on his face. Strapped to his back was a large quiver filled to capacity with arrows, and a collapsible compound bow hung from his belt.

"I did not!"

"Please! Last time you came to Gotham City, you took the wrong turn twice." Beast Boy said.

"At least Cyborg has GPS installed in that tin can head of his." The young archer commented.

"Nice to see you again, Speedy." Victor/Cyborg said.

"And don't you think it's time to get over yourself, Wally?" Beast Boy asked him.

"Why don't you bite me, Garfield?" The young Kid Flash snapped.

"How about you take a long run off of a short pier?" Beast Boy shot back.

Before any of them could say or do anything else, a dark, almost black, energy surrounded their mouths and froze their legs in place. Both tried to pull and tug away from the energy but to no avail as they soon found themselves falling over face first. All of the gathered teens were confused for a few minutes at what had just happened until Robin looked toward the largest gathering of shadows on the balcony.

"You can come out now, Raven." Robin said.

Stepping out from the shadows, almost like she had been hiding within them, was a young pale skinned woman. She wore a black leotard that covered her arms and body, but left her smooth and toned legs bare. A pair of navy blue boots covered her feet as a large navy blue hooded cloak covered her body and most of her face while a large red ruby pendant kept the cloak together around her neck.

"Someone had to shut them up." She said as she pulled back the hood, revealing a perfectly smooth an unblemished face. A small red jewel sat in the middle of her forehead while her black hair was cut just below her ears. Her full lips were also coated in a thin coat of black lipstick. But the most stunning feature about the woman was her smoky purple eyes. It was almost like she truly did have a set of the rarest jewels on Earth inside of her head instead a pair of living eyes. As soon as she made herself known, Beast Boy immediately stood to attention and sucked in his gut, trying to make himself look more manly and masculine.

"Give it up, Beast Boy." Raven said in her monotone voice, making Garfield let out the breath he was holding like a deflated balloon.

"That just leaves Starfire." Robin said.

"Tramp." Batgirl said to herself.

"Would you give it a rest, already?" Robin asked her.

"She still sore about that kiss, huh?" Cyborg said with a grin.

"IT WASN'T A REAL KISS!" Robin shouted while the others, minus Raven, snickered.

"I mean Tramp at twelve o'clock." Batgirl said as she pointed upwards.

"Sorry I am late." A voice overhead said. Landing softly onto the balcony with effortless ease was a young teenage girl with long reddish brown hair and smooth orange skin. Her eyes were green within green as she wore an armored pare of leggings and a breastplate that left her arms and flat stomach bare. A pair of large metal bracelets wrapped around both of her wrists. "I am still trying to become familiar with my new surroundings. And when the bat child calls me a tramp, is she referring to the four legged animal in the animated movie I saw?"

"Child? Who do think you're calling a,"

"Enough, Batgirl!" Robin said, knowing that he was going to get the beating of a lifetime from his girlfriend when all of this was over with. "Thanks for coming, guys. I really appreciate it."

"It's no big. Friends stick together, right?" Beast Boy asked. "But, why are we here?"

"Good question." Speedy said as they all faced Robin. "What's so important?"

"Truthfully, I didn't call you guys here." Robin said.

"If you didn't, who did?" Victor asked.

"Me." A deep and rough voice said from behind the group. All of them turned and gasped in surprise and shock as they saw the Dark Knight standing behind them with his eyes narrowed. "We have a serious situation on our hands, and we need help. But if all of you want to continue to act like children, then I made a mistake by calling you here." He growled.

"Sorry, Mr. Batman, sir!" Beast Boy said as he stood to attention like he was in the armed forces. All of them seemed to stand up straighter than what they usually would at the sight of Gotham's protector. Starfire, who was usually upbeat and perky at even some of the worst odds, even seemed to be very afraid of Batman's mere presence.

"Batman has a special mission for all of us. What the Cyborg Superwoman has been telling us about Coast City isn't adding up. We have proof that the footage she's been showing everyone is a lie. So he wants all of us to check it out." Robin said to them.

"As in going to what's left of Coast City?" Kid Flash asked.

"You're kidding, right?" Beast Boy asked.

"Note serious face." Batman growled, making Beast Boy turn himself into a whimpering puppy.

"But that doesn't make sense. Why would Superwoman want to lie to everyone?" Cyborg asked.

"Because she isn't Superwoman." Another voice said from the shadows. Everyone one of the teenaged super beings gasped in surprise when they saw the tall redhead step from the shadows, wearing a black jumpsuit with a large silver pentagonal S shield on her chest. And the look on her face showed that she was far from being happy.

"You – you're . . . . but this is . . . HUH?" Beast Boy asked as she shifted back to his normal form.

"If you are the real Superwoman, then who is the one in Coast City?" Starfire asked.

"The fake Superwoman in Coast City is the real leader of the aliens. We were able to get a confirmation from a – a friend that barley managed to survive the disaster. So it's time for us to step up and prove to everyone we're more than sidekicks, and to show the world who the real traitor is." Batgirl said.

"One question. Is anyone else from the Justice League going to be joining us?" Raven asked, having kept mostly to herself.

"We can't risk it. Their communications may be compromised." Batman said.

"Then we're doomed." Raven said.

"Come on, Raven! Can't you be optimistic for once?" Beast Boy asked her.

"This is me being optimistic. A handful of teenagers, being lead by a man with no superpowers and a hero who barley has her own powers back, is a certified suicide mission."

"How did you know about," Kim started.

"I can sense many things about people. And I can sense that even though you are the real Superwoman, you barley have any powers right now. So I will say it again. We're doomed." Raven said as she began to skulk back into the shadows. However, she received quite a surprise when she saw the Dark Knight in her way.

"I'm not going to lie, but the odds are against us. But this is the situation. Coast City has been destroyed, thousands are dead, and the Justice League has been deceived and everyone on this planet is blind to what's going on. But let me ask you this, Raven. Which one is the real suicide mission? Trying to stop a possible invasion, or just standing aside and doing absolutely nothing?" he asked her as she scowled at him from under her hood.

"I didn't say I wasn't going to help. I was just stating the obvious." She said as she closed her eyes and regained her control of her emotions. "But I do see your point." Raven said.

"What about the rest of you? Save the world or go home?" Kimberly asked the rest of them. All the young teenagers there only glanced at each other for only a brief moment before they nodded their heads.

"We became heroes to make a difference. And we're not going to run away just because everything looks grim. We're all in." Cyborg said.

"Victory or death." Starfire said.

"So I guess the next stop is Coast City?" Beast Boy asked.

"No. The next stop is Metropolis." Batman said.

"Metropolis? Why Metropolis?" Speedy asked.

"We have to visit an old friend." Robin said.

"Anyone we know?" Kid Flash asked. "Robin? Batgirl?" he asked, but Batman, Superwoman, Batgirl, and Robin were no where to be seen. The teenage superheroes were by themselves. "Is it just me, or is it just creepy whenever they do that?"

* * *

**Engine City**

"Wh-where?" she moaned as she opened her eyes and tried to raise her head.

Her neck was soar and stiff as she tried to move. That mean her head must have been hanging low for a while. Her head and her jaw was still sore, as was most of her body. The last thing she remembered was the fight with the cyborg psycho. She saw the horrific monstrosity it had built on top of what used to be Coast City. The next thing she knew, the robo-bitch punched her in the head. Wait a minute. She wasn't dead. Granted, she had no idea what being dead was like, but she could feel the air in her lungs and feel how freezing cold it was in here. But where was here? She tried to move, but she couldn't. Her arms and legs felt like they were being held in a vice. She pulled and strained at her limbs until she felt her muscles begin to cramp from too much strain.

Her breathing was labored for a small amount of time as she waited for the ache in her muscles to go away. She decided to try and open her eyes in hopes that she may recognize her surroundings. After a few moments of blinking her eyes, she realized that her eyes had been opened the entire time. Wherever she was being held was completely shrouded in darkness. Just what the hell was going on here?

"All right, circuit breath. Do you actually think this is funny?" the young woman demanded.

"I'm surprised you regained consciousness. That blow I gave you was enough to even take Captain Marvel's head off." The cold and digital voice of the Cyborg said.

"I have a gift for being a pain in the ass." She said to her jailer as she tried to focus her eyes, but was still unable to see anything. "You think you can at least turn the damn lights on?" she asked.

"Let it never be said that I wasn't generous. Illuminate." The Cyborg said and the lights arose, finally revealing the girl's surroundings. The entire room had various pipes and hoses stretching from the polished floor to the smooth ceiling wall, almost like they were pillars that were holding the roof in place. The walls all around her were smooth with the exception of a few flat monitors that were built into the wall. The main wall in front of her almost looked like it was a large Imax screen that was made of polished metal.

The device that held her in place seemed to be constructed just for her. She felt her back pressing against cold flat metal while large curved chambers that seemed to resemble over grown vacuum cleaners held her limbs in place. Across her arms and across her waist were restraints that almost looked like expandable watch bands, but they kept her held tightly in her little restraint. So far, everything she looked at looked like the the combination of a Star Wars geek and Star Trek fan's wet dreams all rolled into one eye sore.

"I must admit, you showed impressive resiliency during our fight. Supergirl."

"That's Superwoman to you Mrs. Roboto. You want to see resiliency? Let me out of this thing, and I'll turn twist your new arm around like a Frenchman's pretzel!" the heroine shouted as she struggled against her restraints again, trying to break free.

"It would be wise for you to stop flapping your tongue before I rip it from your mouth, pup." A deep voice and rough voice said as she heard something large enter the room from behind.

What appeared in front of her was a massive figure in a humanoid male shape. He stood eight feet tall with his shoulders as broad as the front end of a large MAC truck. His brow was large and exaggerated, like the brow on the mannequins of cave men at a museum. His skin was a sickening yellow while a strange headpiece made of dark metal covered most of his bald head as he glared at the teen prisoner with dark red eyes.

"It looks like someone should lay off the steroids." The teen said before the large alien's hand gripped the lower half of her face tightly and began to squeeze.

"Apologize, and I will consider not ripping your jaw from your face." The alien growled with pure venom and hate dripping from his voice.

"Let her go, Mongul." The Cyborg said.

"But she needs to learn respect!"

"She will. Now let – her – go!"

"Yes – Leader." Mongul said with reluctance as he freed the young girl's face.

"Leader? That Jolly Jaundice mutant works for you?" Supergirl asked in disbelief. "When the hell did I walk into the middle of War of the Worlds, and what's going on? Why did you bring me here?" the teen demanded.

"What's going on is the reformat of your entire world. Behold." The Cyborg said with a smile as the large wall came to life and showed what looked like two sleek giant cooling towers standing high above what looked like a sleek alien refinery. "We are currently situated where the human civilization of Coast City once stood."

"You killed women and children just to build that thing?" the teen asked.

"It's my masterpiece. I give you Engine City." The Cyborg said with awe.

"Still looks like something from New Jersey." Supergirl said.

"What?" Mongul asked.

"I assure you, child; that what you see before you is nothing more than one of the grandest engineering marvels the likes of your galaxy has never seen." The Cyborg growled as her red eye began to glow.

"Polish a turd, it's still a turd." The teen said, only to have the Cyborg's cold metal arm grasp her firmly by her throat. The machine applied pressure to the young girl's neck until the young girl's eyes were bulging and the blood vessels seemed to almost burst.

"If you were any other human on this backwards planet, I would kill you for what you've said." The machine woman said before she released the girls neck and listened to her cough and gasp for breath. "Engine City is a masterpiece. But despite its grandeur, it is only a small piece of what will soon become a grand creation."

"B-but what the hell is it?" the young girl asked as she gasped for breath.

"Are all humans as pathetic and stupid as this one, Master?" Mongul asked as he glanced toward their prisoner.

"My dear child, that is for you and your primitive mind to figure out. But as for why I have brought you here? If you truly are a clone of Superwoman, then there will come a time that I most likely need spare parts."

"You are one sick and twisted bitch, you know that?" the teen asked.

"And I take great pride and joy in it." The Cyborg said as she turned to leave.

"Wait a minute. Engine City? This place is a freaking engine?" the super powered girl demanded.

"Apparently she has a small measure of intelligence after all." Mongul said.

"Yes, my dear child. What you see before you is a massive engine. A thruster to help maneuver your planet out of its orbit." The Cybrog said.

"You're going to kill every body!"

"With one Engine City, yes. Your planet would just spin out of control. But don't worry. Another Engine City will soon be created."

"Where? Where?" the girl demanded as the two began to walk away. "You couldn't stop talking a minute ago, you slime! Where is the other Engine City going to be? TELL ME YOU CYBER WHORE!" Supergirl screamed.

"I hope you weren't fond of the Big Apricot." The Cyborg said in barley a whisper. But it was loud enough for the young teen to hear as her eyes widened in dread and horror.

"M-Metropolis?"

* * *

**The Fortress**

Inside the tank, Galatea floated inside the healing solution looking more helpless than Kal had ever seen her. Her new solar suit covered her entire body as an intense solar lamp, set on its maximum setting, bathed her in yellow solar rays. An oxygen mask was strapped to her face to give her air, but Kal sat and wondered if it was actually doing any good for her. When she came crashing into the fortress, he was relieved she was alive. But now, watching her float like a useless aquarium toy, he wondered if the cruel thing was trying to keep her alive. Despite the powers he had developed on this world and his skills with the Fortress' systems, he felt completely helpless.

"How is she?" Kal asked aloud.

"_Progress is slow. Most of her physical wounds are ninety-two percent healed, but she has slipped into a delirium." _The closest fortress robot said.

"How bad is it?" Kal asked.

"_She seems to be confused about her identity. Her delirium may be resolved if the fortress computer began to relay all data it contains about her."_

"What about the rest of her wounds? You said only ninety-two percent of them were healed."

"_Some of her injuries are more complicated. Some burns sustained in the explosion of Coast City, and internal injuries caused by an energy based weapon. It may be weeks, or perhaps months, before they begin to heal properly."_ The android said, causing Kal's heart to sink where he sat.

"There has to be another way. What about the process that repaired her DNA? Could it be used to heal her?"

"_Calculating. In theory, using a complete pure Kryptonian DNA chain as a base for the program to use would fix any error in her DNA as well as heal her completely. However, there are two problems that have severely reduced the odds of success."_

"What are they?"

"Not enough time has elapsed since her first procedure. Undergoing it again could be too much of a strain for her mind and body. The other is energy resources. Healing Kara Jor-El, and the first procedure to fix Galatea's flawed DNA have drained the power core. If we were to proceed with the procedure again, all energy in the fortress would be used. Afterward, the Fortress would shut down. Probability of Fortress systems recovering from such events, 5,000 to 1."

Kal looked up at Galatea once more as he began to go over what the android had said. The Cyborg is the leader of the invasion force. They've killed innocents and neutralized the most effective members of the league. Batman and Kara are on it, but Kara has now powers. He could go in, but he still hadn't mastered how to control his abilities. There was a strong chance that they would need Galatea. But what if they didn't? Kal had heard and read the stories of Kara growing up and saving the world. And that was before her powers had fully developed. She could rely on her old skills. But for the past several years, she had been using her powers.

What was he to do? Using all the power in the Fortress? That means everything about their home world, the knowledge of their people and what they had achieved, would be gone forever. Then the Fortress would be nothing more than a memorial to a planet long since dead. What was he going to do?

"_What would you like us to do, Kal-El?"_ the robot asked.

"For now . . . start the data feed. Let the computer remind her who she is. Then keep a close eye on her progress afterward. Let me know if anything about her condition changes." Kal said.

"_Compliance."_ The robot said as it wirelessly relayed its orders to the other robots tending to Galatea's care.

"Come back to me. Please, come back." Kal said as he placed a hand on the tank, and watched as Galatea floated in her deep sleep.

* * *

**Metropolis**

The small cannon sounded more like the foot stomps of doom as its blast echoed in the small testing range. On the wooden targets several feet down the range, several splintered holes stood in various areas of the body silhouettes while several metal spikes were firmly set into the steel wall behind it.

"At least the new arm cannon works." John Henry said.

"But it's way too powerful. We're focusing on non-lethal weapons, remember?" Wade asked.

"I know. Just one more bug to work out before the new armor is ready for a field test." John said as he removed the cannon from Wade's arm and took it back to the table. He was thankful he wasn't on crutches anymore. His legs had improved to such a degree that almost didn't notice he wasn't using a cane anymore.

"You're lucky I was able to repair the prototype. I still can't believe you took it just to find your old girlfriend."

"She's the one that stole my design and selling it to the gangs, Wade. But no one has seen her for weeks. She's probably gone underground."

"That's exactly the case." A very familiar and grim voice said, making Wade smile slightly.

"I was wondering when you were going to show up." Wade said as he saw John Henry Irons' eyes slowly widen. Wade spun his chair to face the person the person behind him and saw the all too familiar scowl of the Dark Knight. "One of your emergency facilities has been operating for the past several months, and you just now take notice?" Wade asked as John Henry looked at his lab partner in amazement. The way he was acting toward the Dark Knight was unbelievable. "So how has life in Gotham City been treating you?"

"The same." The Dark Knight answered.

"That bad, huh? How about my replacement?"

"Better than what I had expected." Batman growled.

"Coming from you, I'll take that as a compliment." Wade said as he noticed the small gesture Batman made with his head, indicating the other person that was in the room with them. "Oh, I forgot. Batman, this is John Henry Irons. He's,"

"Former R&D cybernetics scientist and weapons designer for Gough Industries." Batman growled. "Wade, I'm going to need your help." Batman said.

"What is it this time? Has Joker taken over Arkham or something?" Wade asked.

"I'm going to Coast City, and I need to be prepared." Batman said and saw the smile that was on Wade's face immediately disappear.

"Give me one good reason I shouldn't call Gordon and tell him to get you a room ready at Arkham." Wade said.

"How about me, Wade?" another voice said as she stepped out from behind Batman and beamed a bright smile to the broad technicians. "Long time no see, Wade." Kim said to the stunned tech wizard. Wade just sat and looked at his friend, alive and well, standing in front of him. After not moving for at least a minute, Wade did the only sensible thing. He fell over backwards in his chair and passed out.

"He took it better than I planned." Batman said to himself.

* * *

In the heart of Engine City, all the various biological and cybernetic lifeforms were going about their duties as fast as they could. Many of them hadn't had any form of rest or sleep in days. But their leader had a goal, and would allow nothing to stand in its way. Failure was not an option. And the punishment that was given who did not perform their tasks to the fullest was met with either intense pain or death. And sometimes, death wasn't swift and merciful. More times than not, the death was slow and drawn out and making the pain last as long as possibly. Even begging for death would make the process last even longer and become more drawn out. Many worked and dwelled in the massive mechanized city in fear of their leader and its minion, Mongul. No one knew why their leader wanted to harm this world and it's inhabitants so much. No one dared to inquire why or investigate. But they all knew why Mongul was involved in this plot.

Mongul had been the ruler of a planet he had called War World. He ruled with an iron fist and without pity or mercy. To keep the starving citizens entertained, he would enslave people from all over the galaxy and force them to battle to the death in mortal combat. No one knows exactly how or why, but Mongul was dethroned and exiled to a remote part of space. No one had seen or heard from the dictator until he had begun recruiting a crew for his new ship and his new master. The plan was that with two Engine Cities in place, they would be able to maneuver this planet out of orbit and across the galaxy. And Mongul would be left to rule it. A new War World reborn on Earth.

With everything being run at such a pace and a such a strict time frame, the last thing anyone wanted or needed was something unexpected. And beneath all their extraterrestrial noses, the unexpected was brewing beneath their feet. Ever since the Cyborg had her little chat with her in the early hours of the morning, the young clone of Superwoman had been struggling against the device that held her in place. Sweat dripped from her face torrents and her hair was now stringy and damp. She gasped for breath has she went limp against her restraints. She had flexed, bulged, and done her best to try and break free using her strength, but it was no use. Nothing she did was working. If she only had heat vision, she could melt the thing. But the problem was that she didn't have heat vision. And as far as she could tell, she didn't even have the ability to see through anything either. She had the hearing, the strength, the flight. She could even see into windows several miles away from where she lived if she focused hard enough. But why no heat vision? No X-Ray eyes? And more importantly, why was she vulnerable to fire? The only other alien that was vulnerable to that was the Martian guy. And as far as she could tell, she they hadn't used his DNA at all on her.

In the back of her mind, a part of her did wonder if they had since her complexion was a pale green. But she remembered everything on display at Cadmus. A photographic memory was one of her good points. And she saw no evidence of Martian DNA. So what the hell was wrong with her, damn it?

"You are a pathetic creature." A digitized voice said as she saw a strange android patrol the room out of the corner of her eye. He had been in there with her since the cyber fake left. He had been mostly quiet until just now. It was bad enough that she had to listen to the psycho cyborg and her friend. Now she had to take flak from an alien erector set too?

"Something on your mind, bucket head?" she asked the machine.

"I said that you are a pathetic creature." The machine said to her.

"Care to back that up?"

"These creatures we destroyed didn't even bother to defend themselves. And the one filthy organic they had put their faith in, our leader was easily able to dispatch without even emitting sweat. And you yourself, are nothing but a horrible and feeble, primitive attempt of genetic manipulation. If I were an organic, I would become sick and vomit at the mere sight of you." The machine said.

"Roboto, you just did the one thing I needed."

"And what is that, insect?"

"You just pissed me off." The young girl said as the sound of groaning metal attracted the android's attention.

It raised its head upward and saw that various parts of the restraints that were holding the child's hands were starting to expand and warp in various places. And the levels of radiation were rising beyond their normal parameters. Before its sensors could examine the machine further, the entire upper portions of the restraint exploded in massive explosion of green energy and overloaded the androids optics and forced it onto its back. The android was able to stand itself back into an upright position as it waited for its optics to reboot and come online. By the time it was receiving visual data again, a bare and scorched hand punctured the metal alloys of its chest. Within seconds, the hand retracted from the android's chest while holding a small glowing sphere and machinery before it grew dark. For a few seconds, the android stood rooted to its place before it fell over backwards and became nothing more than a paperweight.

"You're terminated, Dick Head." She said before letting her temper rise and focus her hands at the restraints on her feet, destroying them with another blast of emerald energy. She didn't know why she had these blasts or how she got them, but they sure were coming handy right now. She had no idea how they worked, but it looked like her temper had something to do with it. When she lost her cool with Batgirl, she remembered how destructive her energy blasts were. Maybe she could use that to her advantage and escape from this nerd's wet dream that was really a nightmare.

As she stumbled free from the blasted mechanism, an ear splitting alarm began to sound through out the room and probably the entire complex. She knew it wouldn't be long until she was up to her neck in aliens, robots, or whatever this technological abomination was carrying. Thinking back to every thing that ever made her angry since the day she escaped from Cadmus, every mistake she made and every low thing the press or anyone else ever said about her, the young Supergirl began to feel her anger rise higher and higher. She knew it wasn't enough for what she was planning though. Then she thought back to what the Cyborg had done to the camera crew that had followed them and her mistake with getting the pilot in the Daily Planet helicopter in Metropolis killed during that gang war. Everything the Cyborg said and put her through since they arrived.

As she felt her anger rise to a point, she could feel a strange tingling flowing all through her. It was like a strange heat was burning in every inch of her body, but it was a good heat. Like it was wrapping around her like a blanket on a cold day. As she opened her eyes, she could see her entire body was glowing with what almost looked like an emerald fire. Hoping it was enough, Supergirl put every ounce of strength and will power she had into her legs as she crouched down and felt her legs tighten like a spring in a trap. With a feral scream of rage and hate, the teen of steel launched herself upwards at such a speed that entire room shook and expanded with the same force of a bomb. The intense energy around the teen and her speed allowed her to punch through level after level of Engine City. Various alarms were blaring like the wails of banshees as various aliens screamed in fear and rushed to their stations. Several weapons turrets came online and opened fired with blasts of destructive energy. Instead of injuring the teen that was blasting through Engine City like an emerald comet, the energy blast only damaged several systems and consoles, as well as injuring and killing several of the crew that were screaming and running away in fear and panic. Within moments of her escape from her restraints and emitting massive energy from her body, the young heroine soon found herself barreling through one more wall and into the sky at such a speed that she almost escaped the grasp of Earth's gravity before she was finally able to force herself to come to a complete stop.

As she gazed downward, the sight of all the open terrain before her was breath taking. An absolute wonder that only so few people would ever get to see. She wished she could float there longer to try and take everything in, but she couldn't. The emerald energy that had surrounded her was extinguished, and she was holding her breath. Taking her best guess at which direction Metropolis was, the young teen directed herself and began to fly as fast as she could back toward the ground. She just hoped she had enough time to warn everyone.

* * *

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE ESCAPED? HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?" the Cyborg screamed as she blasted Mongul with a blast of her heat vision, forcing the broad conqueror to his knees.

"W-we don't k-know." Mongul groaned as the heat vision stopped. Slowly, smoke rose from his burned uniform and blistering yellow skin as he sat up straight. "She was using – an energy blast. We d-don't know how she c-created it." Mongul said through gritted teeth as he did his best to ignore the pain.

"I am surrounded by nothing but the stupidest beings in the galaxy. Every where I turn, all of you FAIL ME!" the Cyborg screamed as she blasted Mongul again with another intense blast. "This will change nothing." The Cyborg growled. "What's the progress on the rocket?"

"I-it will be finished within two days time, Master." Mongul groaned again.

"Accelerate its completion. I don't care if you have to force the workers to forgo sleep and feed them the remains of their dead. Make sure that rocket flies and will turn all of Metropolis into nothing more than a smoking crater."

"Y-yes, Master."

* * *

**Metropolis**

"Now I know you've lost it if you're planning on taking a bunch of kids with you into that danger zone." Wade said as they took a lift into the sub basement of the lab he and Dr. Irons had been calling home for the past several months

"There isn't any other choice, Wade. But you know me. If I didn't think they were ready for this, I wouldn't have contacted them." Ron said as he slid back his cowl. With John Henry up top, waiting for the others to arrive, he felt safe to reveal his face.

"I still think your all nuts." Wade said as he shook his head.

"You've seen the results of Ron's research." Kim said.

"And my computers confirmed it. The footage is faked. But I've also seen what this thing is packing, Kim. The only Kryptonian weapon you've been up against was that device that sent you into the Phantom Zone. This is heavy duty weaponry we're talking about."

"And this thing killed innocent people while using my name, Wade. While wearing _my_ family crest. I'm sorry, but no one does that and gets a clean bill of health." Kim said as the lift came to a stop.

"We're going to need something that can hopefully fly in under their radar." Ron said as they followed Wade deeper into the sub-basement.

"You're going up against a technology light years beyond anything we've got. I don't know about under their radar, but I've got something that I think can get you close." Wade said as he came to a darkened area and stopped. Wade removed a small device from his pocket and aimed it at the darkened area. The lights came on and illuminated what appeared to be a large white and blue shape in the shape of a T with at least five cockpits.

"What is this?"

"A side project of mine. I've been trying to design a replacement for the javelins up in the Watchtower, and this was one of my prototypes. Mach 4 capability, magnetic repulsers, combat weapons with non-lethal weapons only. And one side bonus is that she can separate into five different smaller ships with light weaponry. Each cockpit can seat two, maybe three people." Wade said.

"Why does it look like a T?" Ron asked.

"I thought it looked more like the Norse symbol for Thor. That's why I named her the Thunder Road." Wade said and saw the looks his two oldest friends were giving him. "So I like Bruce Springsteen."

"This could probably hold the kids. What about Kim and me?" Ronald asked.

"Yeah, that. Since you crashed the Batwing, I've had to try and make another one from the design table, up." Wade said as he took then to another part of the large hanger area. "I give you the Batwing 3.0" Wade said as he pointed to nothing but empty space.

"Wade, there's nothing here." Kim said to her broad shouldered friend.

"Is it?" Wade asked as he pressed a button on his device, allowing a very sleek and smooth two passenger jet appear that was painted black. IT looked like a hybrid combination of a stealth fighter jet and a fighter from the Starfox games with the only feature that looked like a bat were its tail fins.

"How did you do that?" Kim asked as she admired the flying machine while Ron gave it a criticizing gaze.

"A chameleon circuit. Cameras are almost all over the ship. It records what it sees, and projects it onto the hull plating to almost give it a cloaking field quality. I decided to test it on the Batwing first before I put it in a jet I'm making for Wonder Woman." Wade said.

"Since when have you been making things for Wonder Woman?" Ron asked with a raised eye brow.

"She felt left out that everyone else has all these gadgets. So she asked nicely and I – uh," Wade said as he began to blush.

"You're secret is safe with us." Kim said with a small smirk.

"Are they ready to fly?" Ron asked as he slipped the cowl back on.

"Diagnostics give them the green light. If I've built them according to my calculations, they should be good to go." Wade said.

"NOW THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" a loud voice shouted, causing Wade and Kim to turn and see John Henry in the lift with the sidekicks. "I have died and gone to heaven! That's my new baby, right there!" Cyborg said as he looked at the proto type ship while Beast Boy was almost drooling at it.

"Boys and there toys." Raven grumbled.

"Can I keep this one after we're done? I swear I'll take care of it!" Cyborg said as he ran to the ship and looked at it like he was seeing the world's largest pinup poster.

"This is no time for joking around. I'll give you one hour to familiar yourselves with the ship's systems. After that, we head to Coast City in teams of two." Batman said as he walked to the gathered teens. "Team one will be composed of myself, Superwoman, Batgirl, and Steel."

"Say what?" Wade asked as his eyes widened.

"Like you said, its advanced alien technology, and you're one of the best experts in the world. I'm going to need you on this, Wade. No ifs, ands, or butts."

"He said butts." Beast Boy said as he giggled like a school girl with a crush.

"Are you done yet?" The Dark Knight asked as Beast Boy saw the hero towering over him.

"Y-yes, sir." He said as he stood perfectly still and began to pale.

"Wade?" he asked as he looked at his old friend.

"This isn't exactly how I wanted to test the new suit." Wade said as he rolled his eyes.

"Batman, why aren't I on your team?" Robin asked him.

"You know them best. Their strengths and their weaknesses. If this is going to work, they're going to need a strong leader. And I know you can handle this, Robin. I have faith in you." Batman said to his young ward, as if a mantle of trust had just been handed down to the young man.

"Do we get to give our teams any cool names? I was thinking something like, Alpha Cool Wolf Squadron." Beast Boy asked and gulped as Batman glared at him again.

"Cut them some slack, Ron. They've got a heavy load on their shoulders." Kim said to him.

"Robin, you come up with a name." Batman said as he walked back to join Wade and Kimberly.

"So what do we call ourselves, man?" Cyborg asked with all of his friends gazes upon him.

"How about . . . the Titans?"

* * *

"_Miss Gough? It's Mercy! Please pick up!"_ the intercom in Shego's office blared.

"What is it, Mercy?" Sherri asked as she walked to her desk.

"_The Cyborg just sent out a press release saying that Supergirl has been captured and brainwashed by the fake Superwoman. What do you want us to do now?"_

"Give me thirty minutes, Mercy. I'll think of something." Sherri said a she turned off the intercom and began to rub the bridge of her nose. She turned and looked at the other end of her office and let out a deep sigh. "Interesting turn of events since the League is chasing them in deep space. Something isn't right. There aren't a lot of options here. So I'm open to anything you have to offer." Sherri said to the small redhead laying on her couch as she gulped down two more bottles of bottle water.

"Then there's one person that I can trust now." The young teen said as she still tried to catch her breath.

"And who would that be?"

"I've got to find Batman." The teen said as she looked out the window. "If I don't, Metropolis won't be here anymore."


	14. Launch

**Gotham City**

The moon still hung high in the early morning sky while the sun slept. Inside the Iceberg Lounge restaurant and casino, most of the staff wouldn't start to arrive until five to prepare everything for the lunch time rush. However, one figure still dwelled inside the dormant structure. Inside the massive lounge, high above the large iceberg that had been imported from the Atlantic Ocean was the office of the Lounge's owner. A small man that was around four feet tall and still wearing a rather expensive business suit was none other than Oswald Cobblepot himself. His nose was large and almost looked like a beak, and what was left of his black hair was greased and slicked backwards as he went over the books on his desk. At first glance, most people would think he was wearing a monocle over his left eye. In actuality, it was the bottom of what was once a rather small but expensive bottle of fine wine.

Oswald's family had been rich at one point. But when Oswald was still a child, their fortune had been all but squandered by his father's gambling habits. It also didn't help matters that the Wayne family exposed his father's other activities and made the Cobblepot family pariahs. When his father died of pneumonia, his mother and himself then lived with his grandmother who owned a bird sanctuary. Because of his small stature and chubby frame, and his mother making him take an umbrella with him after his father's death, he was often ridiculed at school. As a result, he spent most of his time at the bird sanctuary with his grandmother where he learned a great deal about the feathered creatures he would call his friends. As Oswald grew older, he learned even more in the ways of training certain birds to perform specific tasks.

While he kept his society appearance as a respectable and legitimate business man, he had trained many birds from the bird sanctuary to steal from the open windows of high rise homes and hotel penthouses. Finding that he could earn a great deal of money from fencing stolen goods, he began a life of crime. Oswald tried to join one of the mobs in Gotham, but was ridiculed and literally kicked out. Oswald returned, and shot the mob boss in the head with a converted umbrella that was also a .45 caliber weapon. Soon, his family fortune was rebuilt and he earned a place amongst Gotham's notorious kingpins of crime. Known for the ruthlessness of his tactics and only choosing the best to work for him, Oswald is known as the creature he had been compared to all his life. The Penguin. For the right price, he could get anyone in Gotham City anything they wanted with his restaurant and Casino as a front. That was why a tall and very attractive woman in formal attire was in his office.

"If you hadn't noticed, we're closed." He muttered as he continued to calculate figures and made sure his umbrella was close by.

"I'm here on business, Oswald." As she stepped closer, allowing her features to be lit by the small table lamp.

"Mercy? What the hell are you doing here?"

"Miss Gough needs something." Mercy said and saw the small man's face frown.

"Not interested." Penguin muttered.

"She's willing to pay in cash." Mercy said.

"Do you know what happened last time I did business with your boss? Her ex-husband, Lex Luthor, sent the Gotham police after me! Gordon and that pointed ear freak cost me a shipment of explosives and guns, not to mention the money I had to refund to my customer because of it! If I wasn't so careful about watching my backside, I'd be in Black Gate prison right now! To this day, I've still got that winged rodent breathing down my neck. So tell your boss to look elsewhere."

As the Penguin tried to return to his work, he didn't see Mercy raise her left leg high in the air before she brought it crashing down into the center of his desk and break it in two. Oswald fell over backwards in his chair from the sudden action and lost his grasp of his umbrella before he soon felt Mercy's boot pressed against his windpipe.

"I don't like being here, Penguin. You might act all proper and fancy, but I know you're still nothing more than a little slimy maggot that feeds off of Gotham's underbelly. But we either do business, or I'm going to make sure that the next thing you do is kiss the underside of my boot as it knocks your teeth out." She said before taking her boot away from his neck.

As Oswald coughed and tried to regain a proper breath, he glared up at Mercy for a moment before standing to his feet. "What do you need?"

"Something that's in your trophy room." She said as she saw his eye slightly widen. "Miss Gough knows about your collection beneath your precious lounge. Like the body of the man that gave you your eyepiece." She said as she saw Oswald's hand lightly graze the bottle piece that was stuck in his face. "A pair of Joker's hyena's that he let loose in the Lounge. The mob boss you killed, and all the umbrella's you've used to take down everyone who tried to stand in your way." Mercy continued.

"Give me a good reason not to put a bullet through your head." Oswald growled as he saw Mercy stand between him and his weapon.

"There's a case you keep down there for Batman. You might not have him, but you have several of the gadgets he's left behind. One of them is a cowl that was almost destroyed. I need it." Mercy said.

"As you said, Mercy." Oswald said as he removed a cigar from a drawer in his broken desk and lit it. "I'm a collector. If I don't have it, I get it. So what is that you have that you think would be worth one of rodent man's little toys?" Penguin asked her.

Mercy stepped outside the office for a moment before coming back in with a large duffle bag. With little effort, she tossed the bag toward the small man and heard it land with a loud thud. Cautiously grasping his umbrella, Oswald used it to open the bag and couldn't believe what he saw. It was a small wooden dummy of a gangster with a large, deep scratch on the side of its face.

"Mr. Scarface? I thought that brute thug of his, Rhino, was keeping an eye on him while the Ventriloquist was locked up in Arkham." The Penguin said.

"Who do you think I took him from? Now, do we have a deal or not?" Mercy asked.

"I think we can arrange something." Oswald said with a small smile.

* * *

**Metropolis**

Ron was overlooking the new Man of Steel suit as Wade ran a few more diagnostics before they had to leave. Dr. Irons had his hands full trying to orientate the Titans with the working on the Thunder Road beneath them, but Beast Boy was proving to be quite a handful. It didn't help that he and Victor/Cyborg kept calling the Thunder Road the T-Ship for short. But Ron had faith in Robin as a leader. He knew he would get them ready in time for them to leave for Coast City. He hated to say it because he was well aware of his own flaws, but Dick was starting to become more and more like him when he was behind the mask.

While Robin tried to get his team ready, Ronald was making sure his team would be ready as well. Even with the aid of the solar suit, Kim's powers were still slowly returning. She was getting stronger with her physical strength, but Ronald knew it wouldn't be enough. So, Wade was currently outfitting her with a pair of rocket boots, and a set of John Henry's weapons. But Ron was scared how far non-lethal's would go in a hostile alien environment. As for Ron himself, he had brought a suit that was in all literal terms, a suit of armor. It was created in case of an emergency situation like rioting in Gotham streets, or a massive jail break. Or an even worse scenario that he prayed would never happen, Arkham Asylum falling into the hands of the lunatics that dwelled inside of it. And in it's utility belt, almost every gadget for every situation. He knew it would add weight to him, but what good would Ron's training be if he couldn't deal with it?

And now there was Wade's latest suit of armor. Ronald had been impressed with the prototype alone. This new suit however seemed almost ready for any urban situation. But that was another factor that worried Ronald. This suit was built for urban combat, a gang war. Not to go up against aliens from another world. But Ron saw all the enhancements and stronger medals used. The Toastmasters that the gangs were using were something out of a nightmare. So Wade and John Henry had to strengthen the armor. He just hoped it was enough.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Kim asked as she walked up behind him.

"Raven is right. The odds aren't in our favor."

"It's the right thing to do, Ron. And it's not the first time we've faced odds like this before." Kim said.

"That was years ago. And you at least had your strength and speed then." Ron said.

"Not when we first started." She said and saw the confused look on Ron's face, despite the fact he was wearing his cowl. "You don't remember? The first case we were on?" she asked him.

"Now I remember. The Cuddle Buddy collector." Ron said.

"I didn't need flight, strength, or even heat vision for that. That was all pure skill." Kim said proudly.

"Kim," Ron started, but stopped. She could see he wanted to say something, but it was hard for him to get it out. "Kim, I thought I lost you. And there's a chance I might loose you again."

"Don't ask me to stay behind. Because I'm,"

"It's not that, KP." Ron said as he took a deep breath. "Kim, marry me. I know you wanted a large wedding, but we may not survive this. But if this is our last fight, I want to know I went down with my wife by my side." Ron said to her.

"But where are we going to find someone to marry us now?" Kim said.

"Raven can. I've talked to her, and she is a priestess. She could do it if she wants to. Kim, I'm begging you. Will you marry me?" Ron asked her.

"Ron, I"

Kim stopped from answering him when he saw him grimace in pain and clutch the right side of his head. Fear surged through her brain instantly as she saw him groan and was by his side in no time.

"Ron, what's wrong?"

"My – comm system. It's picking up some kind of signal." He said as the shrill noise in his ear began to fade.

"_Can you hear me?! Hello? Is anyone there?!" _a voice asked through the static.

"Who is this?" Ron asked, fading into his Batman voice.

"_About damn time. You're a hard man to reach." _The voice said as the static cleared, and Ron recognized the voice.

"Miss Gough?" Batman asked in surprise. "How the hell did you,"

"_Can it, batboy. We've got an emergency on our hands."_

"If you don't get off this frequency,"

"_Quit the tough act, Stoppable!" _Sherri shouted, causing Ron to freeze. _"That's right, I know who you are. But we can talk about that later. I've got Superwoman's clone with me, and she has some important information about the invaders in Coast City."_

"Why should I trust you?"

"_Because I've known who you are for years, and I've kept my mouth shut. Now I need your rubber clad ass at Gough Tower now! We don't have much time!"_ Sherri said before her transmission cut out.

"What's wrong?" Kim asked.

"We need to visit an old friend." Ron said.

* * *

**Deep Space**

Through the vast void of space, a single emerald comet sped through the vastness like a bat out of hell as it passed through several worlds that looked more like giant works of art than actual worlds. A closer look at the shooting green star would reveal that it was a human being clad in a glowing green and black bodysuit, with a green domino mask covering the upper features of his face. On his right hand sat a ring that was glowing with pure green energy that allowed the man to fly through space and not suffocate. His face was gaunt as he kept his eyes facing forward as he traveled further in space.

"Come on. Come on, already." Will Du, Green Lantern of space sector 2814, muttered to himself. "If I don't get something soon, I'm going to start,"

"_Contact with Oa has been re-established."_ The ring said within Will's mind.

"About time. I thought I would never get within range again. Ring, open a channel to the Guardians." Will said.

"_Channel open."_

"Ganthet, it's Will Du. I've got some good news. I was able to get both races to agree to a cease fire. As we speak, a five-thousand year feud is coming to an end." He said.

"_We're glad to hear it, Will. I look forward to your report. However, we need you to return to Earth at once."_ The small blue skin alien said to Will.

"What's wrong? I thought Gardner and Stewart were still there."

"_They were called away. Will, there's been an attack on Earth. We don't know the details, but a city along the North American West Coast was destroyed."_

This was a feeling Will Du was all too familiar with. He had seen it before when ever Doctor Director had bad news about friends of his in Global Justice that had fallen in battle. The look in Ganthet's eyes that showed how unsure he was to deliver the terrible news, and the sudden unusual gentleness that was easily heard in his voice. Will was shocked to hear that there was an attack on his home planet, enough to spark outrage and want to bring justice to whomever did it. But with the way his mentor and friend was acting was making Will feel like an ice ball had formed in the bottom of his stomach.

"Which city?" Will asked as his throat felt dryer than Death Valley in the middle of summer.

"_I'm sorry, Will. Coast City is gone."_

* * *

**Gough Tower; Metropolis**

"Would you calm down? If you don't stop pacing back and forth, you're going to wear a hole in the floor." Sherri said as she tried her best to remain calm herself. After everything the young teen had told her, she was doing her best not to grab a bottle and drain it in a single gulp. She had to put on a brave front though. If for no one else, it was for herself. Sherri was so terrified that she could actually feel herself trembling. Christ, she hadn't trembled this much since she was a child that was still scared of the dark.

"Stay calm?! Not to be rude, but are you nuts?! Aliens just blew away an entire city and they're going to do the same to Metropolis for Christ's sake! Staying calm is the last thing I should be doing!" Supergirl said as she stopped her pacing and flopped herself onto a leather couch and heard the legs snap as the couch fell to the floor with a thump. "Sorry."

"I was going to replace it, anyway." Sherri said. A stupid couch was the last thing she needed to be thinking about.

"Are you sure it was Batman you were talking to? How do you know it wasn't some nerd at Comic-Con?" Supergirl asked.

"I'm sure. Only Batman has technology that sophisticated, and the Penguin wouldn't have had it if it didn't come from Batman." Sherri said to her.

"Then I should remember to put a self-destruct in everything from now on." A low and very rough voice said from a darkened corner of the office. Both stood and turned to see the Dark Knight himself emerge from his hiding place, almost as if the shadows had created him. "This better be good, Miss Gough."

"It is. Tell them, sweetie." Sherri said as she looked at the teen super heroine and saw the terror that was in her eyes from only looking at the caped crusader. "HEY!" Sherri shouted, snapping the teenager out of her stooper.

"Right. Look, Coast City? It's gone. I mean, there's nothing left of it. Not even ashes."

"I gathered that. But right now, the Cyborg has been telling everyone that you were captured and brainwashed by the other Superwoman. How do I know if you're telling the truth?" he asked.

"You've got to be kidding me! Is everyone on Earth brain dead? That titanium slut is lying! She's leading the assholes that killed everyone in Coast City! She killed the news crew that was following us, and she's building the biggest freaking engine in the history of – of – ever!" Supergirl shouted.

"What do you mean she's building an engine?" the Dark Knight asked.

"I didn't understand a lot of it. It's some deal she's made with this ugly yellow alien guy name Mogle, Maggle, or,"

"Mongul?" Batman asked.

"Yeah, that's it! Wait, how did you,"

"Superwoman faced him once, several years ago. But you're telling me he's in league with the Cyborg?"

"It looks more like he's a bootlicker. But she leveled Coast City to build a city that's a big freaking engine. She's going to do the same to Metropolis, and soon!" the young girl said as she tried to catch her breath and just watched as the Dark Knight stood still like a gargoyle. "Well?!"

"You were able to escape?"

"Yeah." She said, still nervous.

"Can you get us back in?"

"Dark dude say what?"

"Wait a minute. You're not planning on,"

"I already have an assault planned against Coast City to expose the Cyborg. But if she can get us into the facility itself, we may be able to stop the Cyborg." Batman said.

"Over my dead body!" Sherri said. "She's just a kid and she barley made it out! If you think I'm going to let you come in here and just,"

"HEY!" the teen girl shouted, causing her voice to echo and crack several pieces of glass. "I'm going. I'm terrified, but Metropolis may not be here in a few hours. If he's got a plan, I'm going with him. I've been show boating for too long. I think it's about time I earned this symbol." The young girl said as she touched the family crest of the House of El that was on her uniform.

"But – you – he," Sherri sputtered, trying to think of an excuse.

"Sorry, Miss Gough. I've got to do this." The girl said as she looked at the Batman. "Need a lift?" the girl asked nervously.

"I brought my own ride. Try to keep up." Batman said as he leapt out the window he had entered. The Teen of Steel ran to the window, expecting to see the Caped Crusader falling to his death. Instead, she saw a sleek jet roar past, carrying the Dark Knight inside.

"Where does he get those wonderful toys?" the teen asked herself before taking flight and following.

"Stoppable, you better bring her back in one piece." Sherry said as she watched them fly out of sight. Once they were gone, Sherri returned to her desk and placed a phone call.

"_This is Waller. What do have to report, Miss Gough?"_

"We have an Omega level situation, Miss Waller. There's more to Coast City than what we thought."

* * *

**The Fortress of Solitude**

"_Cyborg. Coast City . . . dead. Must . . stop. Danger, world. Stop her. M-must stop her. STOP HER!"_ Galatea kept repeating over and over in the tank, thrashing about like a caged great white shark.

"What's wrong with her?!" Kal demanded.

"_Her bio signs are spiking at an alarming rate."_

"Is it her delirium?"

"_Negative. She is obsessed with stopping the Cyborg. If her signs do not return to normal, her body will go into shock. Her pulmonary system will shut down."_ One of the fortress robots said as Kal's eyes widened.

"No." Kal whispered as he watched Galatea thrash about again and again. Physically, she appeared healed, but not completely. There was still trauma and damage that would kill her if she didn't stop. The data feed didn't help like he had thought. She knew who she was again, but she wanted revenge. Or did she? She kept saying she needed to save people, but was it an excuse?

The beeping of several alarms broke Kal's train of thought as he looked at the data. What he saw wasn't good at all. Galatea was starting to clutch her chest as she started to go into cardiac arrest. She was dying.

"NO!" Kal screamed as he saw Galatea in pain. "DO SOMETHING!" Kal shouted.

"_The only course of action to save her life is the gene therapy. Chances of her survival are slim, and the fortress would shut down permanently." _The robot said.

"Slim is better than none. Bring the program on-line. Use every ounce of power in the fortress, just save her." Kal said.

"_Affirmative."_ The robot said as the computers activated the program and the robots began to shut down, allowing the computer to gather as much power as possible.

Within moments, the lights in the fortress dimmed as the chamber that held Galatea began to grow brighter and brighter. Alarms began to sound off all through the fortress as the lights throughout the alien complex to grow dimmer and dimmer. The walls began to shake as a faint smell of something electrical burning began to rise from the computer systems. Soon, the healing chamber was the only thing that gave any form of light within the fortress as one sound began to fill Kal's ears. Something horrible. Something so terrible for him to hear that it felt as if his heart were being ripped out of his chest. Even as he fell to his knees and covered his ears, he could still hear the unbearable sound. It was Galatea screaming in pain. The light in the tube grew so bright that not even Kal could look at it at the smell of smoke began to grow stronger. The chamber began to vibrate as the fortress' computers overloaded and began to explode, causing the massive crystal walls to crack and bring pieces of the ceilings crumbling down upon Kal's head.

As Kal dodged the debris, he heard the chamber begin to power down. As he turned and looked, he saw that the light inside the chamber had faded away. Thankfully, Galatea had stopped screaming. For a brief moment, Kal felt relief that she wasn't screantil he realized that she was unconscious inside the chamber. A chamber filled with fluid, and no longer receiving oxygen since the computers in the fortress were now nothing more than alien scrap metal! Panic and dread filled Kal as he ran toward the chamber, leapt into the air to hurtle over various crystal shards with a balled fist raised, and sent it smashing through the thick glass of the chamber and let the liquid spill out onto the fortress' floor. Nothing but instinct took over as he broke the chamber, sending shards of thick glass in every direction as he lifted Galatea's limp form into his arms and carried her away from the debris. Despite the lack of light, he carried her to the bedroom where they had been staying and placed her on the bed, wrapping her in the covers. The room was still dark. Looking at the sealed window, Kal rushed to it and hammered away at the covering until it fell apart and allowed the rays of the sun to fill the room.

Kal returned to Galatea's side and brushed several strands of her wet hair out of her face. Her hair had become darker now, becoming almost completely black. He ran his fingers along her face as he listened. Nothing. No heart beat, no breathing!

"NO!" Kal shouted as he placed his hands against the center of her chest and began presseing against it several times. CPR. He had read about it and seen demonstrations many times before. If there was ever a time he needed it, it was now. He stopped only to breath air into her lungs before he started chest compressions again. She beat death once, she could do it again. Kal kept giving her air and compressing her chest. He wasn't going to let her go. He had already lost a world, his family, his people, and he almost lost the one person he could call a sister. He wasn't going to loose anyone else! With a loud shout of frustration, he brought his fist down onto the center of Galatea's chest, and heard something. Was it a heart beat? It had to be! Balling up his fist one more time, he brought it down upon Galatea's chest again and jumped as she sat up straight and took a deep breath of oxygen with her eyes wide open.

Kal felt joy, satisfaction, and relief in so many waves that he thought he was going to collapse into a heap. A large smile filled his face as he found himself chuckling at the sight of his – his girlfriend. His girlfriend, sitting on the bed with him, and looking out the window. Wait a minute. She was looking out the window? Did that mean she could?

"Galatea?" he asked her gently.

Slowly, she turned her head to look at Kal-El. It was the same face, the same expression, the same person. She was there, all there. But her eyes. Her eyes were now a crystal sky blue, like his. And as she looked at him, tears filled her beautiful blue eyes and began to fall down her face.

"You're a sight for sore eyes." She said as she began to smile.

After a moment of silence, as they looked at each other, both began to laugh. Just a chuckle at first. But then, it began to grow. They were both laughing. They were laughing so hard that anyone observing would think that they had just heard the world's funniest joke. As their laughing began to quiet, they quickly held onto each other as tight as they could. For now, they just wanted that moment. Until Galatea looked at the debris and damage and said,

"Kim's going to throw a fit when she sees this place."

* * *

**Metropolis**

"You've got to be kidding me." Beast Boy said as everyone soaked in what Supergirl had just told them. Even though they had seen plenty of actions and gone up against several super criminals themselves, they had never faced anything of this magnitude. To think that these beings could be just so cold toward life, toward all life on a planet, was unimaginable to them. Many of them felt like they were going to throw up.

"That's just – insane." Cyborg said.

"It is more than that. It is cruel and – and – not good." Starfire said.

"I think the word you're looking for is horrific." Batgirl said as they all took a minute to adjust. Mongul wanting to turn Earth into a new War World was unthinkable. They new as soon as he started doing that, that would mean most of the planet's population wouldn't survive. And if anyone did survive would become enslaved.

"I should have taken that bastard down when I had the chance." Kim said to herself.

"You did." Batman said flatly.

"You know what I mean." Kim shot back.

"You did take him down. When you defeated him, he lost everything." Batman said.

"And I put the Earth in danger. Now look what's happened." Kim as she continued to mentally kick herself for letting Mongul get away. "This is all my fault."

"The hell it is." Wade said, making Kim turn. "You did the right thing."

"He's right. If you had killed Mongul, you would have been no better than him." Robin said.

"I hate to break up this sappy moment, but we still have a problem." Raven said, getting their attention. "Metropolis is going to be turned into a crater, and we don't have much time."

"You're right. If we're going stop this creep, we need to leave now." Robin said. "Everyone, suit up and prepare for lift off. We've got a world to save." Robin said to his team. Without a joke, objection, or cynical remark, all of them stood and went to ready themselves. Wade escorted Supergirl with him to give her a quick rundown on some of the weapons she would be getting, and to find out as much as he could about Engine City.

"What just happened?" Ron asked Kim.

"I think your sidekick and his friends just stepped up. I don't think we can call them sidekicks anymore." Kim said with a small smirk.

"I never considered Robin a sidekick." Batman said as he looked at the young man prepare for battle. "He's my partner."

"No, Ron." Kim said as she gently turned his face to look at hers. "He's family." She said as she leaned in and kissed him. "For luck."

"We're going to need it." Batman said as he gave Kim a firm hug. "I better get ready. We launch in a few minutes." Batman said as he reluctantly let Kim go and began to walk away.

"After this is over, we have to talk about Han being Batgirl." Kim said, making Batman pause for a moment.

"I didn't know your x-ray vision had come back." He said.

"It hasn't." Kim said.

"You're learning." Batman said as he walked away.

* * *

"The progress?" the Cyborg asked Mongul as he looked over all the various alien slaves, robots, and lower cybernetic organisms as they worked at their stations. After he glanced at the data on one of the screens, a small yet chilling and sadistic smile soon spread over his yellow face. The sight almost looked as awful as a cracked and peeling callus.

"The missile is ready. All diagnostics say that it is ready to be deployed."

"The humans have a holy text that supposedly for see the end of their world. Where they will be judged by their God and he will decide whether or not they shall saved or damned. I hope their God doesn't mind that I make that choice for them myself." The Cyborg said as she brought up a holographic interface and plotted the missile's course while programming all the machinery inside of it. "From hell's heart, I stab at thee." She said as she launched the missile and felt the entire complex begin to rumble from the force of the giant weapons launch into the skies above Engine City.

"May the rebirth of War World begin." Mongul said as his smile grew wider.

"And may Superwoman be blamed for the Earth's destruction." The Cyborg said.

* * *

"Titans, give me a systems check." Wade said as he made himself comfortable in the Thunder Road with the other teenaged superheroes.

"Weapons systems and engines are go." Cyborg said as he looked at the readings in his cockpit.

"Radar and Environmental systems are online." Beast Boy said.

"Communications are online." Raven said.

"Cloaking device in the Batwing and Thunder Road are in the green." Kim said in the seat behind Ron in the new Batwing.

"Then tighten your sphincters and hold on to your underwear. If these work like they should, you're going to be in for one hell of a ride." Wade said as the roof above them opened and the ships began to rise vertically. As soon as they began to rise, the cloaking device kicked in and the armor on both machines began to reflect the environment around them in an effort to hide their existence. After the ships had raised themselves to a height above the city skyline, Wade and Batman inputted the coordinates for Coast City.

"I would suggest you all tighten your safety harness'." Wade said.

"This thing isn't going to crash, is it?" Beast Boy asked.

"No. But, the propulsion system makes a bat out of hell look like a snail." Wade said.

"I'll believe that when I see it." Cyborg said.

"Be careful what you wish for." Kim said to herself. "Propulsion drive is coming on line in three . . two . . one." Kim said as the engines powered up.

"Teen Titans, GO!" Robin said as both vessels shot through the skies and breaking the sound barrier almost instantly. As they flew through the skies at sonic speeds, everyone had to disengage their com systems as Cyborg hooted in delight and Beast Boy began to scream in sheer terror.


End file.
